Jimmy Carter, 99, Is 'Still There' as He Nears 'the End,' Grandson Says

Jason Carter offered a health update on his grandfather while speaking at the Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum this week

Jimmy Carter, 99, remains present more than a year into hospice care, his grandson Jason Carter said this week — though his time left remains uncertain.

Speaking at the annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum on Tuesday, May 14, Jason said that 15 months after the former president terminated medical intervention, "he really is, I think, coming to the end," adding, "there’s a part of this faith journey that is so important to him, and there’s a part of that faith journey that you only can live at the very end and I think he has been there in that space.”

Related: Jimmy Carter's Grandson Laughs Recalling Chat with Grandpa Where They Were Both Puzzled by His Health

Jason, who chairs the Carter family's human rights organization, expressed a similar sentiment to PEOPLE eight months ago, when he said ahead of Jimmy's 99th birthday, "My grandfather right now is really physically limited — he's coming to the end, as is obvious by the fact that he's been in hospice — and so in that way I think he's frustrated."

At the time, Jason continued, his grandfather was finding meaning in the rare opportunity he was given to reflect on his life and values.

Related: Unexpected Months in Hospice Have Been 'Meaningful' to Jimmy Carter as He 'Comes to the End,' Grandson Says

Jimmy, whose condition was not disclosed, entered hospice care in February 2023 so that he could live out his remaining days at his Plains, Ga., home with family. His wife, Rosalynn, was diagnosed with dementia in May 2023.

"There are a lot of different ways that [dementia] can manifest, and for [my grandmother], it has manifested in such a happy and loving way, which is not surprising given the way she has lived her life and the joy that she's always felt," Jason told PEOPLE in the September interview. "And so it's difficult, but it's the best possible case scenario really in that way."

Related: Rosalynn Carter Never Knew Life Without Jimmy — She Met Her Future Husband as a Newborn

Despite their limitations, he said at the time, "They are definitely still there for each other."

"They are in love at home together and at peace with whatever comes," he told PEOPLE. "That love story that really defines their life continues to define it."

Rosalynn herself entered hospice care in November and died two days later at the age of 96.

Related: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter's Grandson Offers Update on Their Health: ‘We’re in the Final Chapter’ (Exclusive)

During his speech at the mental health forum on Tuesday, Jason, 48, reflected on the impact Rosalynn's death had on the Carter family.

“My grandmother’s passing was a difficult moment for all of us, including my grandfather,” he said, but, "The outpouring of love and support that we, as a family, received from people in this room and from the rest of the world was so remarkable and meaningful to us, and it really turned that whole process into a celebration.”

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Jason then told a light-hearted story about Jimmy's recent health, recounting a conversation he shared with his grandfather during an Atlanta Braves game.

"I said, 'Pa Pa … people ask me how you’re doing and I say I don’t know.' And he said, ‘Well, I don’t know myself,' " Jason said with a laugh. "And so, he’s still there."

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