Jimmy Carter's long stay in hospice dispels myths about end-of-life care By Brian Dunleavy NEW YORK, June 24 (UPI) -- Former President Jimmy Carter's being in hospice for 16 months makes him an "outlier," but it also highlights the multifaceted nature of end-of-life care and dispels myths about that care, experts told UPI. Carter, who is to turn 100 in October, entered hospice in February 2023 after deciding to discontinue aggressive treatment for metastatic melanoma. Despite his decision, his surviving with the disease for more than 5 years, at his advanced age, should be considered a success, said Dr. Joan Teno, a former hospice provider and an expert in geriatric care. "President Carter is an outlier in that only a small percentage of hospice patients survive more than 15 months," she told UPI in an email. "The fact that he has lived so long on hospice is testament to his excellent medical care at home and, if I had to guess, his will to live. "It also illustrates the core focus of hospice, which is typically geared toward people with an anticipated life expectancy of 6 months or less, for whom curing their underlying illness isn't an option, Teno added. The approach emphasizes symptom management -- most notably for pain -- and quality of life, according to the Hospice Foundation of America. "While Hospice Foundation of America has worked for more than 40 years to educate people about the many benefits of hospice care, most Americans don't engage in advance care planning and know little about care options at the end of life," Angela Novas, the organization's senior medical officer, told UPI via email. "Because of that, there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about what hospice is, the care it provides, who qualifies and how to access care," she said.
