Former President Jimmy Carter, who is 98 years old, has been in at home hospice care since February 2023. His wife and former first lady Rosalynn Carter has been at home with him, but her health isn’t in tip top shape either. In May 2023, her family announced that she had been diagnosed with dementia. She is 95 years old.
An update about the Carters’ health was recently shared in an unexpected way – following a game show. The show is called “Claim to Fame,” and one of the contestants was President Carter’s grandson, Hugo Wentzel. After being eliminated from the competition, Wentzel spoke to Entertainment Weekly about his famous relative’s health status.
Wentzel, who is 24, and the son of Amy Carter, shared that his grandfather “always wants to be doing something with his mind, so he’s trying to keep himself busy, but he is really sick and getting older.”
Even though Wentzel loves his grandfather, he shared, “It’s been harder and harder to see him.” He explained, “I haven’t been seeing him as much recently, but he knows that I love him and we’re supporting him through this time.” One reason Wentzel hasn’t been spending a lot of time with his grandfather recently is because of his time working on “Claim to Fame,” but another reason is due to “things like COVID regulations.”
While Wentzel doesn’t get to spend as much time with his grandfather as he’d like, his mother “spends almost half her time taking care of” the former President.
Wentzel didn’t try to gloss over his grandfather’s health. He bluntly stated, “He’s pretty sick.” Despite his health condition, Wentzel shared that Carter “still does use his brain.” He called his grandfather “a genius,” adding, “He’s super smart. I love him.”
Then Wentzel spoke about his grandmother and her health status, but first, he wanted to share how much she has contributed to the world during her lifetime. Wentzel explained, “She’s done things for mental health. I want everyone to know how incredibly important and beautiful she is as a person and a grandma.”
Wentzel addressed his grandmother’s dementia and explained what it’s like to visit her now. He said, “When I see her, she does forget what’s going on sometimes, but when she remembers it’s amazing. I love her.”
