Older Americans Month: Am I Too Old To Be A Donor?

You can be someone’s hero – Older Americans month.

May Is Older Americans Month. The question of whether or not someone is too old to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor is one we hear frequently. Too many times people will automatically rule themselves out as potential donors, due to health or age restrictions. However, each person is evaluated at the time of their death by a medical professional and deemed able to be a donor or not. There’s no age limit to donation or to registering to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, and we want to emphasize this during Older Americans Month. People in their 50s, 60s, 70s and far beyond have been able to give the gift of life as organ, eye and tissue donors. In 2022, in Colorado and Wyoming the average age of a tissue donor was 67 years old. In fact, the oldest tissue donor in 2022 in our area was 105 years old!

Older Americans Month is a perfect time for people over the age of 50 to talk about organ, eye and tissue donation with their families. Another thought we often hear is, “I always thought my family would decide if I would be a donor after my death.” It’s normal for people to think this is a “family” decision, and many leave it up to family members. However, we’ve found having these conversations early and letting your family know your wishes to be a donor are critical to alleviating the burden of making the decision on your behalf during a time of great grief and loss.

Organ, eye and tissue donation saves and heals lives! Register today at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org. Your legacy will live on through donation and transplantation. Click here for a list of our most frequently asked questions about organ, eye and tissue donation.