Frequently Asked Questions About Organ Donation for Older Adults
Organ donation is the act of taking healthy organs and tissues from one person and giving them to someone else. Making the decision to donate your organs is one of the most generous gifts you can give.
Find answers below to commonly asked questions about what it means to be a donor and how to become one. You’ll also find a list of federal resources to help you learn more about the donation process and how to get started.
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Is there an age limit to becoming an organ donor?
No: There is no age limit for donation or to sign up. In 2021, one out of every three people who donated organs was over the age of 50. You’re never too old to make a difference — as of 2021, the oldest organ donor in the United States was 92.
How can someone register to be an organ donor?
You can register to be an organ donor at the time you renew your driver’s license or state ID at your local Department of Motor Vehicles. You can also register online.
Sign up now to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor!
Visit organdonor.gov to select your state and follow the steps to sign up.
Is my brain included when I sign up to donate my organs?
No. It’s common for people to think that signing up to be an organ donor includes brain donation, but the purpose and the process are different. This is because brain donation is only used to advance scientific research, versus helping another person stay alive through a transplant. Depending on the circumstances of death, it may be possible to donate organs for transplant as well as the brain for scientific research.
Brain donation is important in helping researchers to better understand how different disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, affect the brain, and how we might better treat and prevent them across different groups of people.
To learn more about the brain donation process, why many brains are needed from diverse populations and ages, and how to become a brain donor, visit NIA’s article — Brain Donation: A Gift for Generations.
What happens after I sign up to be an organ donor?
After you sign up to be an organ donor, be sure to tell your family and friends. It’s important to let them know your wishes so they can honor your decision at the end of life. Also be sure to keep your information, such as a current mailing address, up to date in your state’s donor registry.
Who is responsible for determining if organs can be donated?
Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) are nonprofit organizations responsible for recovering organs from donors for transplantation in the United States. If you are near death or die, the hospital informs the local OPO. The OPO decides if you’re a possible donor based on your medical and social history.
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Can I donate an organ or tissue while I’m still living?
Most donations occur after the donor has died, but it is possible to donate certain organs or tissue to someone in need while still living. Living donation has a different process than that of a deceased donor donation. To learn more about living donation, visit organdonor.gov.
Do any medical conditions exclude someone from becoming an organ donor?
Yes, some conditions such as an actively spreading cancer or infection, or heart disease, may prevent a person from becoming a donor. But you can still sign up as an organ donor regardless of any preexisting or past medical conditions. A doctor will conduct tests to determine the viability of your organs for transplant at the time of death.
Does it cost money to donate your organs?
No. The organ donor’s family is not charged for donation. Insurance or the people who receive the organ donation pay those costs. However, the donor’s family is still responsible for any costs associated with medical care at the end of life, and funeral and burial arrangements.
Can family members choose to donate their loved one’s organs after they die?
If a person is not registered to donate their organs, their family may make the decision on the dying person’s behalf to donate their organs. A member of the OPO must obtain consent from the family before organ donation. However, the family cannot override the person’s decision to donate their organs if they have registered to donate or stated it in their advance directives.
It can be challenging to think about organ donation at the end of life, both for the family and the person who is dying. Making and documenting this decision ahead of time as part of advance care planning and by registering to donate can help lessen stress during a difficult time.
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Is organ donation possible if someone prefers to die at home?
In most cases, organ donation is not logistically possible when someone dies at home. Vital organs — such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver — are only viable for a short time once oxygen stops flowing through the body. However, tissue and eye donation may be an option since these remain viable without oxygen for several hours.
Can a person have a viewing if they donate their organs?
Yes, it is possible to have an open casket funeral, or viewing, after organ donation. Hospital workers treat the body with care and respect during the donation process.
Organ donation resources
Legal and Financial Planning for People with Dementia
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Many people are unprepared to deal with the legal and financial consequences of a serious illness such as Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Legal and medical experts encourage people recently diagnosed with a serious illness — particularly one that is expected to cause declining mental and physical health — to examine and update their financial and health care arrangements as soon as possible. Basic legal and financial documents, such as a will, a living trust, and advance directives, are available to ensure that the person’s late-stage or end-of-life health care and financial decisions are carried out.
A complication of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and related dementias is that the person may lack or gradually lose the ability to think clearly. This change affects his or her ability to make decisions and participate in legal and financial planning.
People with early-stage Alzheimer’s or a related dementia can often understand many aspects and consequences of legal decision-making. However, legal and medical experts say that many forms of planning can help the person and his or her family address current issues and plan for next steps, even if the person is diagnosed with later-stage dementia.
There are good reasons to retain a lawyer when preparing advance planning documents. For example, a lawyer can help interpret different state laws and suggest ways to ensure that the person’s and family’s wishes are carried out. It’s important to understand that laws vary by state, and changes in a person’s situation — for example, a divorce, relocation, or death in the family — can influence how documents are prepared and maintained. Life changes may also mean a document needs to be revised to remain valid.
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Legal, Financial, and Health Care Planning Documents
Share this infographic to spread advance care planning tips to help get your affairs in order.
Families beginning the legal planning process should discuss their approach, what they want to happen, and which legal documents they’ll need. Depending on the family situation and the applicable state laws, a lawyer may introduce a variety of documents to assist in this process, including documents that communicate:
Learn how to get your affairs in order.
Advance Health Care Directives for People with Dementia
Advance directives for health care are documents that communicate a person’s health care wishes. Advance directives go into effect after the person no longer can make decisions on their own. In most cases, these documents must be prepared while the person is legally able to execute them. Health care directives may include the following:
A durable power of attorney for health care designates a person, sometimes called an agent or proxy, to make health care decisions when the person with dementia can no longer do so.
A living will records a person’s wishes for medical treatment near the end of life or if the person is permanently unconscious and cannot make decisions about emergency treatment.
A do not resuscitate order, or DNR, instructs health care professionals not to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if a person’s heart stops or if he or she stops breathing. A DNR order is signed by a doctor and put in a person’s medical chart.
| Overview of Medical Documents | |
| Medical Document | How It Is Used |
| Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care | Gives a designated person the authority to make health care decisions on behalf of the person with dementia |
| Living Will | Describes and instructs how and when the person wants different types of end-of-life health care |
| Do Not Resuscitate Order | Instructs healthcare professionals not to perform CPR in case of stopped heart or stopped breathing |
In addition to these, there may be other documents for specific health care procedures including organ and tissue donation, dialysis, brain donation, and blood transfusions. For more information about advance directives for health care, see Advance care planning: Health care directives.
Tip: Get Permission for Caregiver Communication in Advance
Get permission in advance from the person with dementia to have his or her doctor and lawyer talk with a caregiver as needed. Advance permission can also be provided to others, such as Medicare or a credit card company, bank, or financial advisor. This can help with questions about care, a bill, or a health insurance claim. Without consent, the caregiver may not be able to get needed information.
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Advance Directives for Financial and Estate Management
Advance directives for financial and estate management must be created while the person with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia has “legal capacity” to make decisions on their own, meaning they can still understand the decisions and what they might mean. These directives may include the following:
A durable power of attorney for finances names someone to make financial decisions when the person with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia no longer can. It can help avoid court actions that may take away control of financial affairs.
A will indicates how a person’s assets and estate will be distributed upon their death. It also can specify:
Medical and legal experts say that the newly diagnosed person with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia and his or her family should create or update a will as soon as possible after diagnosis.
A living trust addresses the management of money and property while a person is still living. The trust provides instructions about the person’s estate and appoints someone, called the trustee, to hold titles to property and money on the person’s behalf. Using the instructions in the living trust, the trustee can pay bills or make other financial and property decisions when the person with dementia can no longer manage his or her affairs.
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A living trust can:
| Overview of Legal and Financial Documents | |
Where Can I Get Help with Legal and Financial Planning?
Health care providers cannot act as legal or financial advisers, but they can encourage planning discussions between patients and their families. Doctors can also guide patients, families, the care team, attorneys, and judges regarding the patient’s ability to make decisions. Discussing advance care planning decisions with a doctor is free through Medicare during the annual wellness visit. Private health insurance may also cover these discussions.
An elder law attorney helps older adults and their families interpret state laws, plan how wishes will be carried out, understand financial options, and learn how to preserve financial assets.
It’s a good idea to ask about a lawyer’s fees before making an appointment. The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the American Bar Association can help families find qualified attorneys. Also, a local bar association can help identify free legal aid options. See the resources at the end of this article for more information.
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Geriatric care managers are trained social workers or nurses who can help people with dementia and their families. Read more about geriatric care managers.
Advance Planning Advice for People with Dementia
Start discussions early. The rate of decline differs for each person with dementia, and his or her ability to be involved in planning will decline over time. People in the early stages of the disease may be able to understand the issues, but they may also be defensive, frustrated, and/or emotionally unable to deal with difficult questions. The person may even be in denial or not ready to face their diagnosis. This is normal. Be patient and seek outside help from a lawyer or geriatric care manager if needed. Remember that not all people are diagnosed at an early stage. Decision-making may already be difficult by the time the person with dementia is diagnosed.
Gather important papers. When an emergency arises or when the person with dementia can no longer manage their own affairs, family members or a proxy will need access to important papers, such as a living will or financial documents. To make sure the wishes of the person with dementia are followed, put important papers in a secure place and provide copies to family members or another trusted person. A lawyer can keep a set of the papers as well.
Review plans over time. Changes in personal situations — such as a divorce, relocation, or death in the family — and in state laws can affect how legal documents are prepared and maintained. Review plans regularly, and update documents as needed.
Reduce anxiety about funeral and burial arrangements. Advance planning for the funeral and burial can provide a sense of peace and reduce anxiety for both the person with dementia as well as his or her family.
Money Matters: How to Help A Person With Dementia
Problems managing money may be one of the first noticeable signs of dementia. To provide support, while also respecting the person’s independence, a family member or trusted friend can help:
As the disease progresses, a family member or trustee can take additional steps to:
Legal and Financial Planning Resources for Low-Income Families
Families who cannot afford a lawyer can still plan for the future. Samples of basic health planning documents are available online. Area Agency on Aging officials may provide legal advice or help. Other possible sources of legal assistance and referral include state legal aid offices, state bar associations, local nonprofit agencies, foundations, and social service agencies.
