Former President Jimmy Carter in hospice care

The congregation at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., offered up prayers for former President Jimmy Carter and his family on Sunday, a day after he entered hospice care. Carter has taught Sunday school classes for decades at the church. At 98 years old, he is the oldest living president in U.S. history.

Why is he in hospice care? The Carter Center said on Saturday that after multiple short hospital visits, Carter had decided to spend the rest of his time with his family at home. He survived cancer in 2015 but had to have surgery again in 2019 to relieve pressure on his brain.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read a report on Carter’s battle with cancer.