Use of mobility devices and changes over 12 months among very old people in five European countries

Background and aims: Mobility devices (MDs) such as walking sticks, rollators and wheelchairs, often play an important role for older people living at home, striving to remain independent in everyday activities. The aim of this study was to explore how the use of MDs changes over time among very old people in five European countries. Methods: Empirical data from the ENABLE-AGE Survey Study, part of a major interdisciplinary research project carried out in Sweden (n=314), Germany (n=322), the United Kingdom (n=316), Hungary (n=179), and Latvia (n=225), were used. Results: The use of MDs in the Swedish, German and UK samples showed a significant increase between the first occasion of data collection (T-1) and the second (T-2), 12 months later. A walking stick was the most common MD on both occasions, with the exception that the number of users of rollators outdoors exceeded the number of users of walking sticks in the Swedish sample at T-2. Among non-users of MDs at T-1, 12-21% became new users at T-2. Continued use was seen between T-1 and T-2 (80-94%) in the various samples, but the type of MD used changed. In the Swedish, German and UK samples, significant changes were seen in the use of MDs with greater assistive potential over the year. Conclusions: This study shows that the pattern of MD use changes over a short period of time. More research is needed to determine outcomes of MD use in very old age, focusing on the extent to which MDs decrease disability during the aging process, not least in a European perspective.