Measures to enhance mobility among older people in Scandinavia. A literature review of best practice.

Measures enhancing the mobility of older people, helping them live independently and for longer, are advantageous for society as a whole. They are good business for society and they are good for the well-being and welfare of older people who often want to stay in their own home for as long as possible rather than in a care home. There have been attempts to implement measures aimed at increasing older people’s mobility in accordance with various modes of transport, e.g. travelling by private car, by public transport, walking, cycling (the unprotected road users). However, very little research has been conducted into the effects of these measures. Much of the previous research on mobility and the elderly have been concentrated on mapping travel behaviour. However, new generations of older people have different expectations and demands from those of their predecessors. The present report reviews and discusses measures carried out in Denmark, Norway and Sweden during recent decades and links these to questions about what measures would work in the future.