What happened
On Feb. 18, the Carter Center announced that Former President Jimmy Carter, 98, opted to enter in-home hospice care. The 39th president will spend his final days at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by friends and family. This decision was reached after multiple short hospitalizations.
In Context
Hospice care, also known as palliative care, is reserved for patients who are in an end-of-life situation. By entering hospice care, comfort will be prioritized over medical intervention. Patients receive medical care for pain reduction, and receive care for social, psychological, spiritual or physical needs, according to the Mayo Clinic.
President Carter is the longest-living president and has had many health issues in the past, according to ABC News. In 2015, he had surgery on his liver to remove a mass. In that same year, he was diagnosed with melanoma after discovering he had cancer that spread to other parts of his body. In 2017, he was taken to the hospital after becoming dehydrated at a Habitat for Humanity event in Canada. He has also had multiple falls at his Georgia home that required hospitalization.
As the 39th President of the United States, President Carter entered office after the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Nixon’s ended in his resignation after revelations about his administration being rife with scandal caused him to lose the support of his party in congress, and Ford’s ended with his defeat by Carter in the 1976 election.
Carter was not favored to win the election at first. However, his appeal to voters through transparency, love, and trust were ideals that the scandal-weary American public sought, according to Britannica. These ideals were especially attractive considering its juxtaposition to the Watergate scandal that ended the previous presidency and gave birth to the current Ford administration, according to the same source.
In the third 1976 Presidential debate, President Ford was questioned on this scandal, with Jack Nelson asking, “…you became President because of Watergate. So don’t you owe the American people a special obligation to explain in detail your role of limiting one of the original investigations of Watergate that was won by the House banking committee?”
President Carter would serve only one term, losing the 1980 election to President Ronald Reagan.
The Latest
Tourism to Plains has begun to see an uptick as people come from across the nation to wish the President farewell and pray for him. It was reported by the AJC that Plains’ “Smiling Peanut,” a statue that bears a resemblance to Jimmy Carter’s well-known smile, has been given a new coat of paint as out-of-state travelers flock to the city.
Tributes have also begun to pour in online, with President Biden tweeting “To our friends Jimmy and Rosalynn and to their family – Jill and I are with you in prayer and send you our love.”
Sen. Raphael Warnock tweeted “Across life’s seasons, President Jimmy Carter, a man of great faith, has walked with God. In this tender time of transitioning, God is surely walking with him.”
“Jimmy Carter is one of the kindest most thoughtful people I’ve ever had the honor of meeting,” comedian Jon Stewart said, “He’s the best of us.”
In a touching tribute, the head of the secret service, Anthony Gugliemi, posted a message to President Carter upon hearing of his entering hospice. “Rest easy Mr. President,” he said, “We will be forever by your side.”
