LOS ANGELES, Nov 18, (Agencies): Former US first lady Rosalynn Carter, aged 96, has transitioned into hospice care at her home in Georgia, as announced by The Carter Center. The center had disclosed in May that Mrs. Carter is grappling with dementia, though the exact timing of the diagnosis remains unclear. Concurrently, her spouse, former president Jimmy Carter, has been under hospice care at their residence since February, marking his 99th birthday last month.

In an official statement released on Friday by Jason Carter, the grandson of the Carters, The Carter Center conveyed, "Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has entered hospice care at home. She and President Carter are spending time with each other and their family. The Carter family continues to ask for privacy and remains grateful for the outpouring of love and support."

The roots of the Carters' enduring union trace back to a significant moment when Jimmy Carter confided in his mother, expressing that Rosalynn Smith was the girl he intended to marry after their first date. Their marriage, consummated on July 7, 1946, has borne four children.

Throughout her tenure as first lady, Rosalynn Carter ardently championed mental health research and other noble causes, extending her advocacy beyond the nation's borders.