Outdoor mobility and social relationships of elderly people.

Social relationships and activities are important elements in the quality of life of older people. With advancing age, they are made more difficult through the possible loss of physical functions, through societal processes of differentiation, and through unfavourable environmental and technological conditions. Therefore, mobility becomes a fundamental prerequisite for the participation in social relations and activities. This article presents some initial findings of a project which investigates the mobility needs of the elderly and the main factors hindering their desired mobility in three European countries. It became apparent that there is a clear connection between the social situation of elderly persons and specific mobility patterns: if they are tied into a closely meshed network of family or friends, then they are away from home more frequently than when this is not the case. In addition, individual factors like the age, the health situation and the driving ability of a person are important influences. External factors which restrict the mobility can be found in the respective spatial or technical conditions, on the one hand, and in affecting social interactions in the public sphere on the other hand.