How long can you spend in hospice care? Maryland palliative care director explains after Jimmy Carter's death
BALTIMORE -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was under hospice care for nearly two years before he died on Sunday, December 29, at the age of 100, which is an unusual amount of time, according to a Maryland director of palliative care.
Dr. Helen Gordon, Director of Palliative Care at the University of Maryland St. Joseph's Medical Center, says the whole point of hospice care is to allow terminal patients to live the rest of their lives comfortably outside of the hospital setting.
Mr. Carter spent the final days of his life at his home with his family, according to the Carter Center.
"With hospice, we've created a system which most of the time works really well, to provide excellent home care for people in the last weeks and months of their life, and in rare occasions, a year or more," Gordon said.
What is hospice care?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, hospice care is specialized care that provides physical comfort and emotional, social and spiritual support for people nearing the end of life.
Hospice care can be provided at home or a nursing home or community living so the patient can be near family and friends, according to the Hospice Foundation of America.
"Hospice is when philosophically, emotionally, ideally, spiritually, you have a patient and their family has realized that their body is approaching the end, and that their goal is to spend their time doing what is important to them and being with loved ones," Dr. Gordon said..
Why was President Carter in hospice so long?
Former President Carter entered hospice care in February 2023. WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren traveled to Mr. Carter's hometown in Georgia just after the 39th U.S. president was admitted.
Dr. Gordon said a patient typically begins receiving hospice care when a clinician believes they have less than six months to live.
"If the hospice is still seeing a decline and it looks like that person may still pass away from natural causes in that time period, they keep seeing that patient," Dr. Gordon said.
Dr. Gordon said hospice patients are typically reevaluated every three months to see if they still qualify.
In former President Carter's case, while he remained in hospice care for longer than the average patient, his health was still likely on the decline over the last two years.
Dr. Gordon finds peace of mind knowing that Mr. Carter's final two years were peaceful.
"I've listened, I think we all have, to Jimmy Carter saying that he was at peace for when the time came," Dr. Gordon said. "I heard that on the radio this morning, at his 95th birthday. So I do very much believe that he was comfortable."
Public memorials
Public observances honoring Mr. Carter's legacy will be held in Atlanta and Washington, DC, followed by a private interment in Plains, Georgia, according to the Carter Center.
President Joe Biden, who will deliver the eulogy at Mr. Carter's funeral, declared January 9 a national day of mourning in President Carter's memory.
