Former President Jimmy Carter has remained in hospice care for over one year now, and he continues to show his resilience, his family said.
On Sunday, his grandson Jason Carter provided an update on his father to CBS News.
"After a year in hospice, on a daily basis, we have no expectations for his body. But we know that his spirit is as strong as ever," Jason Carter said.
The 99-year-old former president was last seen in public in November at his wife Rosalynn's funeral. He sat in the first row during the service in a wheelchair while donning a blanket in his wife's honor.
Carter has survived battles with brain cancer, liver cancer and a number of other health scares.
"Nearly a decade ago, he had five melanoma tumors in his brain and liver, and we quoted the old gospel song that says he's going to 'stay on the battlefield,'" Jason Carter said. "And he has."
Jimmy Carter attends wife's service, wears blanket honoring her
Former President Jimmy Carter has been in hospice care since February after a series of short hospital stays.
His comments came as the family released a statement late last week saying that Jimmy Carter remains at home surrounded by family.
His family added that it "is pleased that his decision last year to enter hospice care has sparked so many family discussions across the country on an important subject.”
The Hospice Foundation of America says that hospice care is recommended for those with an "anticipated life expectancy of 6 months or less, when cure isn’t an option, and the focus shifts to symptom management and quality of life."
"A person does not have to be bedridden or in their final days of life to receive hospice care. It is most beneficial when the patient and family can receive care early to take advantage of the many benefits hospice care can offer. It can be used for months, as long as medical eligibility is met," the Hospice Foundation of America said.
