Jimmy Carter’s wife Rosalynn 95, diagnosed with dementia – three months after her husband, 98, began hospice care at their Georgia home
- The Carter Center confirmed Rosalynn’s diagnosis on Monday
- Said she is “happy to continue living at home with her husband” Jimmy, age 98
- Three months ago, Jimmy entered hospice and, after a series of hospitalizations, decided to forego medical intervention
- The couple has been together for 70 years and they first met as children
Jimmy Carter’s wife, Rosalynn, has been diagnosed with dementia – three months after her husband was placed in hospice care at their Georgia home.
The Carter Center said the 95-year-old former first lady continues to “live happily” with her husband and “enjoy springtime” and “visits with loved ones.”
Rosalynn has been married to Carter – the longest-living president – for 76 years and they have been home together since February, when he announced that he would forgo further medical intervention after a series of hospitalizations.
No further details about her condition were released and the Carter Center was not expected to release any further information.
Last week, their grandson Jason said the couple were in “good spirits” and ate ice cream together as they welcomed relatives to their humble home in Plains.
Jimmy Carter’s wife Rosalynn has been diagnosed with dementia – three months after her husband was hospiced at their Georgia home. The couple was photographed together with a boy scout group last fall
‘Mrs. Carter has been the nation’s foremost mental health advocate for much of her life,” the Carter Center said Tuesday.
“First at the Georgia Governor’s Mansion, then at the White House, and later at The Carter Center, she pushed for better access to care and less stigma around mental health issues.
One in 10 older Americans has dementia, a condition that affects overall mental health. We recognize, as we did more than half a century ago, that stigma is often a barrier that prevents individuals and their families from seeking and receiving much-needed support.
“We hope that sharing our family’s news sparks more important conversations at kitchen tables and in doctors’ offices across the country.
As the founder of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, Ms. Carter often remarked that there are only four kinds of people in this world: those who have been caregivers; those who are carers now, those who will be carers and those who will need carers.
“The universality of caregiving is evident in our family and we are experiencing the joys and challenges of this journey. We do not expect to comment further and ask for understanding for our family and for anyone across the country working in a caretaker role.”
At 98, he and his wife Rosalynn, 95, still enjoy life’s simple pleasures, which include regular servings of his favorite ice cream according to Jason Carter, his grandson. The couple is photographed in 2018 at their home in Plains, Georgia
The Carter Center said the 95-year-old former first lady continues to “live happily” with her husband and “enjoy springtime” and “visits with loved ones.” The pair are pictured at President George HW Bush’s funeral in 2018
Jimmy and Rosalynn have shared a life together and their romance has stood the test of time as well as the challenges of naval deployment, a presidential campaign and his subsequent term in office. They are pictured together in 1946
The longest-married couple in US presidential history, they met when Jimmy was just three years old and Rosalynn was a newborn, celebrating their 76th wedding anniversary on July 7, 2022.
Jimmy and Rosalynn have shared a life together and their romance has stood the test of time as well as the challenges of naval deployment, a presidential campaign and his subsequent term in office.
They have pursued humanitarian projects together, helping to build or renovate more than 4,300 affordable homes around the world — one of the largest charitable achievements of any previous president.
The couple first dated in 1945. 20-year-old Jimmy attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and stole a kiss from Rosalynn on their first date.
He later told his mother that he wanted to marry her.
The couple married just a year later, when Rosalynn was 18, and the late Jimmy told People in 2015 that marrying her was the “best thing I’ve ever done,” describing their partnership as the “highlight” of his life.