This paper describes the development of a scooter supporting the mobility of older people. The scooter is equipped with a drive assistance system and a special scooter navigation system. The drive assistance system consists of a velocity controller, a steering controller, and a collision avoidance system. In this paper it is demonstrated how the challenging control and steering tasks are modified to increase safety for older people. A special scooter navigation system is presented, to support elderly people in navigating on a safe route through the city using sidewalks, pedestrian lights and crosswalks. For extended positioning requirements a hybrid positioning system was developed combining GPS, WLAN, and inertial sensor data. By combination of these technical improvements it is demonstrated how older people are able to preserve their self-determined and independent life. Usability research was done with focus groups in order to become familiar with global user demands and expectations towards a mobility assistance system. Results show that the system components are expected to assist the user in navigation, steering and speed control rather than to take complete control on the driving situation.

Background and Objective: We investigated usage of and satisfaction with hearing aid devices in everyday life among older adults with hearing loss. Our research further advances the role of hearing contexts for hearing aid use and satisfaction. A central assumption was that hearing aid owners adapt the usage of the hearing aid devices to contextual demands of hearing depending on their personal resources. Methods: In a sample of 158 hearing aid owners aged 50-88 years, we examined proactive hearing aid use in everyday life and its association with the usage of, and satisfaction with, hearing aids. The study was administered online. Using an adapted version of the day-reconstruction method, participants reported hearing episodes during the preceding day. Hearing aid use was assessed via the proportion of waking time with hearing aids. Satisfaction with hearing aids was measured via the Satisfaction with Daily Amplification scale. Results: When using the hearing aids more often, and when reporting greater satisfaction, older adults indicated more diverse listening situations and experienced less variability in hearing quality with hearing aids. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that hearing aid owners may proactively use the hearing devices to master situation-specific demands and difficulties in hearing quality. Such findings underline that hearing aid use and satisfaction depend on the extent to which the devices help to manage everyday life successfully.

Using hearing aids may contribute to better functioning in the everyday lives of hearing-impaired older individuals. We introduce an integrative concept for the efficient use of hearing aids that involves both satisfaction with, and behaviour towards, hearing aids. We review theoretical and empirical work on the predictors of the efficient use of hearing aids in everyday life. Furthermore, we contend that the use of hearing aids requires improved understanding of the variability of hearing demands within specific contexts of everyday life (e.g. conversation with family members, listening to music). The efficiency of hearing aid use thus depends on the fit of situational demands, personal resources, and the specific configuration of the hearing aid device. We propose an integrative person-environment-fit model that advances concepts of selection, optimisation, and compensation to hearing aid efficiency. We discuss the implications of this model for research and for practitioners in the field of gerontology.

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