Even in President Jimmy Carter’s death, the 39th US president was able to teach the nation he once led by shedding light on hospice care.
Hospice care focuses on improving the quality of life of a person diagnosed with a terminal illness by managing their pain and improving their levels of comfort.
Instead of trying to delay the effects of a person’s disease in a hospital bed through conventional means, patients in hospice care receive a comprehensive combination of treatments from a team of professionals that aim to alleviate their symptoms at a facility or at the comfort of their own home.
Presidential power
Over the last two decades, hospice care has gained popularity in the country. But many Americans still don’t know about its benefits, have misconceptions about it, or are unaware of it as an end-of-life option.
This is why President Carter and his family being public about undergoing hospice care services has been influential in bringing knowledge about it to the masses.
“It was powerful,” remarked Dr. Vicki Jackson, president of American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
Hospice and palliative care experts noted that someone as notable and familiar as a former president being open about hospice care has led to more awareness about the service and how it helps both the patient and their loved ones.
Influence and awareness
The National Institutes of Health estimates that about 90% of patients under hospice care pass away within the first six months, while approximately 36% of patients die within a week of entering the service.
In the US, hospice care is considered underutilized, mainly because of a huge lack of awareness about its availability and truly understanding its benefits.
Experts remark that some people put off hospice care until it’s too late for it to have a weightier impact on the quality of their lives during their final months or weeks. Which is why they also agree that President Carter being open about hospice care left a positive impact on the discourse towards end-of-life choices.
President Carter stayed for two years in total, was able to celebrate his birthday, and got to vote with aid from his hospice care staff. He defied the odds as newspapers described it at the time.
President Carter died on December 29, 2024, while his wife Rosalyn Carter died a year earlier on November 19, also under hospice care services.
Upon his death, former presidents, respected institutions, and the media paid their tributes to him and shared the legacy he left behind. Adding to the long list were hospice and palliative care experts who had a little more something to thank the former president for — his final and generous gesture to raise awareness on an alternative way to pass away peacefully.