Doctors discussing when to let elder Bush go home

The health of the country's oldest living president has improved enough during the past few days that his Houston doctors are looking at dates for his discharge from the hospital, according to a statement released Saturday night.

George H.W. Bush, the country's 41st president and father of former president George W. Bush, has spent the past four days at Houston Methodist Hospital after experiencing shortness of breath Tuesday. The elder Bush, 90, will remain in the hospital through the weekend for further observation, his staff said.

Two years ago the elder Bush spent Christmas and nearly two months in the same hospital. He suffers from Parkinson's disease and now uses a motorized scooter or wheelchair.

Still, the elder former president also skydived on at least three of his birthdays since leaving the White House, including a tandem jump for his 90th birthday in June.

Former president Jimmy Carter, also 90 and the 39th president of the United States, was born 111 days after George H.W. Bush. Carter traveled to Harvard University in November to promote his book A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power, which was published in March.

Contributing: The Associated Press