<p>I don’t even know if kidneys can be donated to 80 year olds…if they can, would you?</p>
<p>My parents wouldn’t have let me. If my parent was asking, I don’t know what I’d do.</p>
<p>I don’t think so. I’d have a hard time donating my body parts in general, and I don’t think a parent who is well into their golden years would make a lot of sense. I think that dialysis would make a lot more sense for that person, and would likely keep them alive for as long as a kidney transplant would.</p>
<p>As cnp said, no child would want to be put in that kind of spot.</p>
<p>I don’t think so. Now if I were 80 donating to my child, yes. I can’t imagine anyone would do an organ transplant on an 80 yo.</p>
<p><a href=“Lives Forever Linked Through Kidney Transplant Chain 124 - The New York Times”>Lives Forever Linked Through Kidney Transplant Chain 124 - The New York Times;
<p>The NYT has been running a series this week on transplants - and specifically how after more than ten years of Kidney transplants the program is so disjointed and so few kidneys have been transplanted. Forty year olds have a hard time getting a kidney - not just 80 year olds. </p>
<p>The question might be, “If your 80 year old parent wanted to give you a Kidney,
would you take it?”</p>
<p>Any question involving the health of a loved one is a hard one. One thought is to consider placing yourself on the other side. If you are an 80 year old parent, would you want your 50-60 year old child to donate to you. Right now, my instinct is to say no. Of course the question then becomes, what about 70, or 60, or 50 … </p>
<p>I can see myself doing anything for the kids without much thought, donating to W, S, or cousins who I am truly close to, but am not sure for anyone beyond. Of course something like bone marrow needs less thought - would be happy to do it even for a stranger.</p>
<p>I guess I have the opportunity to see the age of 80 in a different light than previous posters. Even though I am a nurse, I have never worked with the geri population. I came to have a better understanding though as my husband (an occupational therapist) began working in rehab/nursing homes. As a result of his work, we now refer to people as young/old and old/old. He sees a lot of people after things that are pretty debilitating but they rehab and walk out the front the door 
My favorite story is when he treated a 102 year old woman. As he was finishing, the woman’s daughter (age 80) came in the room and reminded my husband that her mother was 101. My husband said “Oh, I thought she was 102, if I had known she was only 101, I would have worked her a lot harder”. So, there is an 80 year old woman still providing care for her MOM!</p>
<p>Also, my own mother turned 80 this year, she texts, facebooks, does her own taxes and gets up any hill on foot faster than I can. So, I guess it depends on the person.</p>
<p>No, my dad refused surgery for this particular problem aroun this age. He did pass away in his late 80s so it was not too bad. He was pain free while he was alive and that is the main thing.</p>
<p>So Dr Google…how did your dad survive in his 80’s with bad kidneys?</p>
<p>3 times dialysis per week.</p>
<p>That is a pain…</p>
<p>I’d donate to my child. Not to my elderly parents.</p>
<p>One of the New York Times articles referenced above noted that patients don’t live nearly as long on dialysis as they do with transplants and certainly have a lesser quality of life. In addition, it’s an extremely safe surgery for the donor, and those who have donated a kidney have life spans equal in length to those who haven’t, even without their “spare” kidney. If I had a parent who was mentally clear and otherwise healthy enough to enjoy life, I wouldn’t hesitate to donate a kidney to him or her. In fact, a close friend did exactly that (mom as in her seventies at the time). The mother lived another ten years, and the daughter has never regretted her choice for an instant. Unless you think you’re “saving” that kidney for the unlikely circumstance that it’s needed for a child, why not donate to an elderly parent? I do wonder if there is an age limit for donors though–anyone with an 80-year old parent is likely to have their own health issues of one sort or another and may not be a suitable candidate. Maybe the more realistic question is whether a grandchild should make the donation.</p>
<p>I would donate before I let my child, but I dont think my mother (93) would allow either of us to.</p>
<p>In my husband’s family 3 out of 5 siblings were born with only 1 kidney. As a result, all of their kids have had “kidney counts” anytime there’s an opportunity to take pictures of the abdomen. Fortunately, the 8 cousins have 16 kidneys. :)</p>
<p>Currently 2 of the 3 single-kidney-sibs are borderline for diabetes. No one has had the courage to wonder aloud “what if” one of them needs a transplant. :o I believe my H would donate to one of his sibs. However, I would want my kids to keep theirs as long as possible. Their own kids might need one one day.</p>
<p>I would not donate my kidney to my elderly parent. One thing to consider is that surgery for an elderly patient can be very hard on them – even those in good health. How many times have you heard about a elderly person not bouncing back after surgery? The anti rejection drugs also can cause problems with other infections. My cousin received a kidney from his brother. It worked great, but he died of pneumonia about 12 years later. The kidney was still going strong, but other issues developed.</p>
<p>I have also read that insurance companies consider an organ donor as having a “previously existing condition”. I don’t know if it is true or not, but if it is that could be a consideration.</p>
<p>I am not medically allowed to donate anything–blood, bone marrow or anything else because of my health issues. 
I had been listed as a bone marrow donor but had a chat with the folks at the registry and they told me they had to put me on inactive. Personally, not sure that donating body parts to an older parent makes great sense.</p>
<p>post #16, not only that they might have a heart attack with the surgery. My in-law did and was in the hospital for 2 months. I’m sure had he knew what’s going on he would have refused surgery.</p>
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<p>And I might get struck by lightening next time I go for a walk. </p>
<p>Neither of those reasons is enough to not donate a kidney to an older person. There might be other reasons, but I disagree with the “what if” mentality.</p>
<p>The critical issues for me would be what the parent’s current quality of life was and what the prospects were for that parent’s quality and length of life following the transplant. If it meant continued good health or a return to good health for the parent, I’d probably do it. And I wouldn’t worry about “saving” a kidney in case a child or someone else needed it down the road. First come, first served, I always say! ;)</p>