Elderly blood donor: the influence of this profile in the hemotherapy service

Abstract

Introduction: A better quality of life and the perspective of a long, productive life are factors that can contribute to maintaining the stocks of blood products. Objective:The aim of this study is to evaluate the blood donation of the elderly at a private haemotherapy service.Method: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive investigation conducted at a private haemotherapy service in Natal/RN, Brazil, during July and September 2015 with a sample of 86 elderly individuals. The data were analyzed descriptively.Results: All the elderly individuals donated blood to meet the needs of one patient. Most of the donors were retirees (16.2%), with a high level of schooling (40.7%), married (83.7%) and residing near the site of the donation (98.8%). New blood donations were difficult to obtain, which was attributed to communication via telemarketing (57%) and personal comorbidities (20.9%). Conclusion:The low number of elderly donors can be attributed to misinformation as to the current maximum age limit for donations, comorbidities and the communication/marketing strategy used to attract participants.