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Former first lady Rosalynn Carter enters hospice care at home, family says

She began hospice care at her home and is spending time with the former president, according to a family statement.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, at a reception for their 75th anniversary, in Plains, Ga., on July 10, 2021.John Bazemore / Pool via AP file

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, 96, has entered hospice care at home, her family said Friday.

The family announced earlier this year that she has dementia.

Former President Jimmy Carter, 99, is also receiving hospice care at their home in Plains, Georgia.

“She and President Carter are spending time with each other and their family," according to a statement from grandson Jason Carter, "the Carter family continues to ask for privacy and remains grateful for the outpouring of love and support."

In September, the couple made an appearance at a festival in their hometown, riding in a black SUV at the Plains Peanut Festival.

The couple have been married for more than 77 years, and the former president has said “the best thing I ever had happen in my life was when she said she’d marry me."

At 99, Carter is the oldest living American president. It was after a series of hospital stays earlier this year that his family announced he would enter hospice at home.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 — melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain — but he was later declared cancer-free.

In 2019, Carter suffered a black eye in a fall and was later hospitalized with a fractured pelvis incurred in a separate fall.

The couple served in the White House after his election in 1976, when the Democrat defeated Republican President Gerald Ford in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal.

Carter served only one term, after losing to Ronald Reagan in 1980.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.