Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Diagnosed With Dementia

By Daniel S. Levine

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter was diagnosed with dementia, the Carter Center announced Tuesday. Carter, 95, served as First Lady during her husband President Jimmy Carter's term in office from 1977 to 1981. The news comes months after the Carter Center announced President Carter, 98, is now receiving hospice care.

"The Carter family is sharing that former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia," the Carter Center's statement read. "She continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains and visits with loved ones."

After President Carter left office in January 1981, Carter continued her mental health advocacy and joined her husband in expanding Habitat for Humanity. "One in 10 older Americans have dementia, a condition that affects overall mental health," the Carter Center noted. "We recognize, as she did more than half a century ago, that stigma is often a barrier that keeps individuals and their families from seeking and getting much-needed support. We hope sharing our family's news will increase important conversations at kitchen tables and in doctor's offices around the country."

Carter is also the founder of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. "The universality of caregiving is clear in our family, and we are experiencing the joy and the challenges of this journey," the Carter family said. "We do not expect to comment further and ask for understanding for our family and for everyone across the country serving in a caregiver role."

The statement did not note when Carter was diagnosed with dementia. In February, the Carter Center announced that former President Carter was receiving hospice care at home. He chose to "spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention," the center said.

The Carters married in 1946 and are parents to four grandchildren. They have over two dozen grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Carter's grandson, Jason Carter, gave CBS News a positive update on his grandparents last week. "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," Jason Carter said. "They've been together 70-plus years. They also know that they're not in charge... Their faith is really grounding in this moment. In that way, it's as good as it can be."

President Carter was the governor of Georgia when he surprisingly won the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination and later beat incumbent President Gerald R. Ford. Although he only served one term in the White House the Carters' humanitarian efforts since leaving office have made him a beloved figure. President Carter is the longest-living president in history, while Carter is the second-longest-lived first lady.

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