Mobility in Old Age: Beyond the Transportation Perspective

For the elderly mobility is a constitutive and essential element of their quality of life. Due to their aging population modern societies intend to intervene and enhance the mobility of the elderly on the basis of research findings. Indeed, numerous research projects pointed out existing barriers to mobility in old age: personal barriers (e.g., achievement deficits, diseases or handicaps), and environmental barriers (e.g., physical obstacles, technical complications). Simply overcoming these barriers does not guarantee mobility without problems and an increase of the quality of life. Beyond a “transportation perspective” of mobility more emphasis is needed with respect to emotional, motivational and social aspects of being mobile. In doing so, decision makers as well as scientists will be confronted with unexpected and non-obvious societal tasks and peculiar demands on social sciences like gerontological psychology, sociology, political science and even education.