The Impact of Everyday Mobility for Elderly People's Welfare and Well-being, 2011

Previous research has shown that mobility and the ability to leave the home are among the essential aspects of the quality of life of elderly people. Despite a general consensus that there is a relationship between mobility and well-being of older people, the research evidence is scattered and scarce. The increased ageing of the population will be important also related to daily mobility and the transport system. Most of the Norwegian population over 65 years will have a driving licence in 2030. Improved health conditions among many elderly and increased access to cars make a basis for more varied activities and extended travelling than previous elderly groups.

However, a large proportion of the new generation of elderly will belong to those 80 years of age and older, who today has problems related to travelling. A majority of them will be women. This proposal responds to a deficiency of empirically based research on mobility and the impact on elderly people's well-being and welfare.

We will (i) examine the development of daily travel and mobility in different groups of elderly people, ( ii )study the relation between mobility and well-being/welfare for elderly people in different contexts and ( iii ) examine and evaluate measures to improve the independency of mobility and transport among elderly persons.

Data are freely available for downloading.