The importance of mobility for the autonomy of seniors

Abstract

Spatial mobility of seniors is one of the current topics under investigation. Its relevance is due to both the ageing population and issues related to the quality of life of seniors. It is linked to how the spatial mobility of seniors affects their personal or family life, but also community and public life. The factors that promote spatial mobility and those that hinder it are the subject of contemporary research. Among the topics related to ageing and old age, the autonomy of seniors, which encompasses several aspects, is also under investigation. The intersection of these two topics, i.e., spatial mobility and autonomy, raises the questions of how these phenomena and processes are related, to what extent they condition each other and, as a result, what functions mobile autonomy, so conceived, fulfils or, conversely, under what circumstances it ceases to be functional. An analysis of 24 semi-structured interviews with seniors over 70 years of age was conducted. The main objective of the study was to discover what importance seniors attach to the outdoor mobility for their individual autonomy. We deconstructed this goal into the following research questions: (a) What importance do seniors attach to the outdoor mobility modes they use? (b) What circumstances do seniors identify as affecting their mobility? (c) How do seniors respond to the limitations in their outdoor mobility? In particular, the modus of the car has been shown to be important, but the importance is differentiated according to different criteria, e.g., whether the senior drives alone, whether his/her partner drives or whether s/he relies on the help of others. A big question is how drivers cope when they stop driving or are forced to stop. The importance of the bicycle, usually linked to the wider radius of the elderly person's daily living space, depends on health, fitness, and lifestyle. From the interviews, it is evident that the situation of seniors and their coping strategies, especially in the case of advanced old age, are well characterized by their ability and commitment to walking. The analysis of the interviews leads to a typology of seniors' attitudes towards mobility and its importance for their own autonomy.