Josh Carter, the grandson of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, is featured in Caregiving: Generations, discussing the deep personal connection his family has to caregiving
“There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers, those who currently are caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregiving. That’s all of us.”
– Rosalynn Carter
Josh Carter, grandson of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, opens up about the emotional and practical challenges of caregiving in Caregiving: Generations, a chapter in Caregiving, set to premiere on PBS next year. Reflecting on his first caregiving experience, Josh recalls caring for his maternal grandmother, Dorothy Davis, who suffered a stroke when he was just starting high school. “Caregiving became a full-time responsibility for the whole family. The toll it took on us was real,” he told PEOPLE, noting how difficult and isolating the experience can be.
Years later, Josh faced another caregiving challenge when his youngest son, Jonathan, was diagnosed with a rare intestinal disorder as an infant. “Every single day was consumed with Jonathan’s care,” Josh shares, acknowledging the impact it had on his older son, Charlie. “Charlie’s going through what I went through… learning that caregiving is a necessary part of a loving family.”
Josh also reflects on his grandmother Rosalynn’s decades-long advocacy for caregivers, which he hadn’t fully appreciated until dealing with his own caregiving crises. Rosalynn’s legacy, including the founding of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, continues to shine a light on the often invisible struggles of caregivers.
Learn more about Caregiving, airing on PBS & WellBeings.org in 2025.
Support for Caregiving Provided By
Support for Caregiving is made possible by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc.; Comfort Keepers; Care.com; CareAsOne; Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation; Richard King Mellon Foundation; Ford Foundation; Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation; Next50; National Alliance on Mental Illness; PATH Foundation; Care for All with Respect and Equity Fund; The John A. Hartford Foundation
Outreach and Engagement Partners for Caregiving
Outreach and engagement partners include Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers; Grantmakers in Aging; Milken Institute | Future of Aging; Global Coalition on Aging; Elizabeth Dole Foundation; National Minority Health Association; Administration for Community Living; The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care; American Association of Caregiving Youth; Caring Across Generations; Society for Human Resource Management Foundation; National Alliance for Caregiving; Lutheran Services in America; Center to Advance Palliative Care; PEOPLE; and Forbes.com.
Caregiving is a production of Lea Pictures and WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Ark media. Chris Durrance serves as Director for Ark media. Barak Goodman is Series Producer, Chris Durrance is Senior Producer and Ruth Fertig is Producer for Ark media. Executive Producers for Lea Pictures are Bradley Cooper and Weston Middleton. Executive Producers for WETA are John F. Wilson and Tom Chiodo. Producer for WETA is Kate Kelly. Production is managed for WETA by Jim Corbley.