Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has been diagnosed with dementia, her family announced Tuesday afternoon.
“She continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains (Georgia) and visits with loved ones,” the Carter family said in a statement.
“As the founder of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, Mrs. Carter often noted that there are only four kinds of people in this world: those who have been caregivers; those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers,” they added.
The family said they don’t expect to comment further on the former first lady’s diagnosis or condition.
This announcement comes as Carter’s husband, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, has been receiving hospice care since February, opting out of additional medical intervention following a string of hospital visits, according to the center.
Rosalynn Carter has long been a mental health advocate, spending decades urging for better access for care and decreasing the stigma around mental health issues, the family added.
“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,” the statement said. “We hope sharing our family’s news will increase important conversations at kitchen tables and in doctor’s offices around the country.”
PoliticsFormer President Jimmy Carter enters hospice care at 98, charity says