This volume brings together leading researchers on quality of life in old age to focus on one of the most important issues in both gerontology and quality of life studies. Quality of life is a holistic construct and assessed from many different perspectives and by many disciplines. Moreover, the concept of quality of life can be applied to practically all important domains of life. Thus, quality of life research has to include social, environmental, structural, and health related aspects and be approached from an interdisciplinary perspective. Recently research in gerontology has begun to systematically study quality of life - following the WHO dictum 'years have been added to life and now the challenge is to add life to years' - however there are very few texts available on this topic and none of an international and multi-disciplinary nature. Quality of life studies have neglected older people and, given the size and growth of this population, it is time to publish a volume on this topic that systematically pursues a comprehensive perspective and includes theoretical approaches and empirical findings with respect to the most important components of quality of life in old age. For these reasons and the high quality of the authors we have assembled, this will be a seminal text for both gerontology and quality of life researchers.

Hans-Werner Wahl, Hermann Brenner, Heidrun Mollenkopf, Dietrich Rothenbacher and Christoph Rott Ageing research has been identi?ed as a prototypical ?eld of inquiry deserving the full exploitation of single discipline approaches and interdisciplinary synergies amongst these single perspectives. Although this is a generally accepted insight, there still is a strong need to provide models of how this global and most fundamental challenge can be dealt with. It seems in any case necessary to narrow down the wide scope of ageing research issues to sets of key constructs most promising in terms of interdisciplinary cross-fertilisation. Againstthis,themajoraimofthebookistoprovideacomprehensive treatment of one well-selected set of key issues of recent ageing research, i. e. health, competence and well-being. In addition, the book's ambition is to identify priorities for future ageing research and to further new avenues for interdisciplinary approaches and social policy applications. The substance of the book is based on an international conference which took place on June 18 and 19, 2004 in Heidelberg, Germany. Framed within the array of health, competence and well-being perspectives in ageing research, the idea of the conf- ence was to provide an integrated presentation of ?ndings generated in the German Centre for Research on Ageing at the University of Heidelberg (Deutsches Zentrum f. ur Alternsforschung, DZFA). The centre's three departments, i. e.

This volume brings together leading researchers on quality of life in old age to focus on one of the most important issues in both gerontology and quality of life studies. There are very few texts available on this topic and none of an international and multi-disciplinary nature. For these reasons and the high quality of the authors we have assembled, this will be a seminal text for both gerontology and quality of life researchers.

Die Beitrage stellen das Thema "Veralterung der deutschen Gesellschaft" in den Kontext der Alltagsforschung. Alte Menschen leben in einer besonderen Umwelt. Sie haben besondere Wohnverhaltnisse und Einkaufsgewohnheiten etc."

Outdoor mobility in old age is a complex phenomenon. On the one hand, it is a basic human need and means the physical ability to move. On the other, it means the realization of all types of trips out-of-doors, either by foot or by means of transportation. In addition, societal and individual necessities, modern values and economic interests mutually reinforcing each other have resulted in mobility as an ever more important precondition of ensuring the ability to lead an autonomous life and participate actively in society according to one's individual needs. Mobility also promotes healthy ageing, delays the onset of disabilities, and postpones frailty, thereby contributing to subjective well-being and life satisfaction. With advancing age, however, maintaining mobility may become jeopardized because of the increasing risk of physical and sensory impairments. This book includes information on older people's actual out-of-home mobility, on the transportation tools used, the prevalence of typical problems associated with out-of-home mobility, the impact of health, social networks, the home and neighbourhood environments, and psychological aspects on their mobility and activities, differences between urban and non-urban areas, and age and gender differences. In addition, a new model of mobility is suggested and the relation between mobility and quality of life is analysed. The book concludes with implications for social and transport policies, urban planning, and industrial pursuits for meeting the mobility needs of ageing adults.