Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter is currently under hospice care at her residence in Plains, Georgia, her family announced Friday. This comes as she joins her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, who has been receiving end-of-life care since February. The Carters, with a remarkable 77-year marriage, hold the distinction of being the longest-married presidential couple in the history of the United States.

As reported by the Associated Press, earlier this year, the family announced the 96-year-old former first lady’s battle with dementia. The former president, now 99, transitioned to hospice care at home in February. However, he remains alert, according to those close to him.

Since their time on a Georgia farm, they have supported each other through Jimmy Carter’s journey to the presidency in 1976. After his defeat in 1980, the couple founded The Carter Center in Atlanta, a respected institution promoting global human rights, democracy, and public health. “I loved politics,” Rosalynn Carter admitted to The Associated Press in 2021.

Rosalynn Carter’s Grandson Revealed His Grandparents Are Enjoying Their ‘Final Chapter’

In a recent interview, Jason Carter, the couple’s grandson, shared that his grandparents are enjoying their final chapter together at home. They celebrate their long lives, cherish their family, and embrace the love that has blossomed in the same small Georgia town where they were born. “That word love is really the one that defines certainly their personal relationship, but also the way they approach this world,” Jason Carter explained.

Besides being a top presidential adviser, Rosalynn Carter became a leading advocate for mental health care. She focused on empowering caregivers in America. She played a key role in advancing important healthcare legislation during her husband’s tenure. Even after leaving the White House, she continued her impactful work. She established a journalism fellowship that focuses on in-depth coverage of mental health issues.

For years, she tirelessly stressed the need to reduce the stigma around mental health. Even decades later, she advocated for equal treatment and insurance coverage for mental health in the U.S. healthcare system. She also traveled globally, helping developing nations address their lack of mental health resources.

In the late 1970s, during the peak of the Carters’ political influence, Rosalynn Carter was dubbed “the Steel Magnolia” by the Washington press corps. This nickname captured her embodiment of Southern political wives of that era. They were known for their quiet grace but also their determination to advocate for their husbands.