Considering the large amount of so called single accidents or falls among older pedestrians, this is a major traffic safety issue for older persons. It is showed that a majority of the falls are caused by such barriers that older people often report as accessibility problems in the environment, i.e. there is a relation between the accessibility level of the environment and the traffic safety risk. By designing the outdoor environment according to the needs and wishes of older persons, the accessibility barriers will decrease which might encourage older persons to increased mobility - a precondition for quality of life in old age. The aim of the project reported in this paper is to evaluate what effects improved accessibility in the outdoor environments has on mobility, perceived safety and quality of life for older people. Physical measures to improve accessibility have been implemented in cooperation with two municipalities in south respectively north of Sweden. Safe mobility the year around involves both eliminating physical barriers in the outdoor environment (the Summer-study - study district 1) as well as keeping that environment accessible in the winter by removing snow and preventing slipperiness, i.e. improved winter maintenance (the Winter-study - study district 2). The participants in both studies are older people, 65 years of age and above, living in the two study districts. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are combined in the study including focus group interviews, participant observations and questionnaires. In a first step, the most relevant aspects concerning accessibility in summer respectively winter for older persons were identified using focus group interviews. In a second step these aspects were then formulated as statements in a questionnaire (27 statements in the Summer-study respectively 18 in the Winter-study) which were mailed out to a representative sample of older people in the two study districts. The respondents were asked to state (1) how important each one of the aspects is to them and (2) how satisfied they were regarding the existing situation with each one of them. In addition, the questionnaire examines mobility, perceived safety and quality of life related to accessibility in outdoor environments. In a third step measures were implemented during a one year period in the two study districts in accordance with the results from the questionnaire. The forth step is an evaluation of measures taken that will begin in spring 2007 and results will be presented in the paper and at the ICTCT workshop with a focus on the results from the questionnaires. (Author/publisher) This publication may be accessed by Internet users at: http://www.ictct.org/workshop.php?workshop_nr=25
Abstract