Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter made a deeply personal decision about how he wanted to spend the final chapter of his life.
After several hospital stays, the 39th president of the United States chose to stop further medical treatment and receive hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia. Carter was 98 when his family announced the decision in February 2023.
The Carter Center explained that the former president wanted to remain in familiar surroundings, close to the people he loved most. Instead of returning repeatedly to the hospital, he chose comfort, peace, and precious time with his family.
For Carter, home had always represented much more than a place to live. Plains was where he was born, where he built his life with his wife, Rosalynn, and where the couple returned after leaving the White House.
His decision touched people across the United States and beyond. Many saw it as another example of the quiet dignity that had defined much of his public and private life.
Carter’s years after the presidency were marked by humanitarian work, efforts to promote peace, support for public health programs, and his involvement with Habitat for Humanity.
As his health declined, however, his priorities became simpler: family, familiar surroundings, and peaceful days at home.
His choice served as a reminder that even after a life filled with extraordinary responsibilities and international recognition, the most meaningful moments can be the quiet ones spent beside the people we love.
Jimmy Carter’s final chapter reflected the values he had spoken about throughout his life—family, faith, service, dignity, and peace.
