President Jimmy Carter casts new light on end-of-life care

By Tom Hall,

Published January 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM EST

Former President Jimmy Carter sits on the Atlanta Falcons bench before the first half of an NFL football game between the Falcons and the San Diego Chargers, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Atlanta. Carter, at age 98 the longest-lived American president, has had a recent series of short hospital stays. The Carter Center said in a statement Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, that the 39th president has now “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.” (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) — Former President Jimmy Carter sits on the Atlanta Falcons bench before the first half of an NFL football game between the Falcons and the San Diego Chargers, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Atlanta. The Carter Center said in a statement Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, that the 39th president “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.” (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

When President Carter entered hospice care in February 2023, he was 98 years old and battling cancer. Many assumed the decision by his family to place him in hospice care indicated he was near death, but the former president died nearly two years later. In October, Carter celebrated his 100^th birthday.

Today, a conversation with expert on hospice care, palliative care, and the challenges caregivers face navigating difficult decisions for their loved ones and themselves.

Dr. Marian Grant has a doctor of nursing practice, or DNP, degree and is a policy consultant to several palliative care and hospice advocacy organizations.

Dr. Timothy Doran is a pediatrician and immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors of Gilchrist, which offers Geriatric, Palliative and Hospice care in homes and at their centers in Towson and Baltimore. Dr. Doran is also the past Chair of Pediatrics at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center.

Dr. Delia Chiaramonte is a Palliative Care physician and founder of The Integrative Palliative Institute, as well as the author of Coping Courageously: A Heart-Centered Guide for Navigating a Loved One’s Illness Without Losing Yourself.