NEWS'He Is Pretty Sick': Jimmy Carter's Grandson Admits It's Been 'Harder and Harder' to See the Former President in Hospice Care
Aug. 8 2023, Published 10:44 a.m. ET
After Jimmy Carter's grandson Hugo Wentzel was recently eliminated from the competition show Claim to Fame, he gave an update on how the former president, who decided to receive home hospice care in February, is doing at 98 years old.
"He's pretty sick. He still does use his brain. He listens to audiobooks. He's a genius. He's super smart. I love him. He always wants to be doing something with his mind, so he's trying to keep himself busy, but he is really sick and getting older," Wentzel said in a new interview.
Now that the politician is receiving home hospice care, "it's been harder and harder to see him," Wentzel admitted. "My mom spends a lot of her time with him. She spends almost half her time taking care of him at this point just because of things like COVID regulations. So it's really family oriented. I haven't been seeing him as much recently, but he knows that I love him and we're supporting him through this time."
Additionally, Wentzel gave an update on his grandmother, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, whose dementia diagnosis was announced in May.
"I just want to say that she's an amazing woman. She's put in so much work in her life. She's done things for mental health. I want everyone to know how incredibly important and beautiful she is as a person and a grandma. Yeah, she does have dementia and when I see her, she does forget what's going on sometimes, but when she remembers it's amazing. I love her," he shared.
As OK! previously reported, it was announced earlier this year that Carter would remain at home indefinitely.
"After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention," the statement read at the time. "He has the full support of his family and his medical team."
The message continued, "The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers."
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Three months later, Carter's grandson Jason Carter gave more details about their day-to-day life.
"They’re just meeting with family right now, but they’re doing it in the best possible way: the two of them together at home," he told The Associated Press on Tuesday, May 23.
"They’ve been together 70-plus years. They also know that they’re not in charge. Their faith is really grounding at this moment. In that way, it’s as good as it can be," he said of his grandparents. "I mean, to the extent y’all’s grandparents are rednecks from south Georgia. If you go down there even today, next to their sink they have a little rack where they dry Ziplock bags."
Entertainment Weekly spoke to Wentzel.
