According to an updated statement from the 41st president’s office that spokesman Jim McGrath posted on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, Bush was admitted to the intensive care unit at the hospital “to address an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia.”
The statement also said that Barbara Bush, 91, was admitted to the same hospital Wednesday morning “as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing.”
Bush is the oldest living former U.S. president. In 2015, he spent a week in a Maine hospital after falling and breaking a bone in his neck. He suffers from a form of Parkinson’s disease and uses a wheelchair to get around.
Despite the loss of mobility, Bush celebrated his 90th birthday by making a tandem parachute jump in Kennebunkport, Maine. Last summer, Bush led a group of 40 wounded warriors on a fishing trip at the helm of his speedboat, three days after his 92nd birthday celebration.
It had been previously announced that Bush and his wife were not expected attend the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president because of health reasons. (media link)
George H.W. Bush sent letter to Trump on Jan. 10 stating he couldn't attend Inauguration: "We will be with you and the country in spirit." pic.twitter.com/zcoieQJmP6
— ABC News (@ABC) January 18, 2017