The Irish Longitudinal study on Ageing (TILDA) COVID-19 Study, 2020

TILDA collects information on all aspects of health, economic and social circumstances from adults aged 50 years and over resident in Ireland. Waves of data collection take place every two years. TILDA provides a comprehensive and accurate picture of the characteristics, needs and contributions of older persons in Ireland to inform and support improvements in policy and practice; advancements in technology and innovation; tailored education and training through an enhanced ageing research infrastructure; harmonisation with leading international research to ensure adoption of best policy and practice and comparability of results. TILDA is necessary to act as the foundation on which we can plan appropriate health, medical, social and economic policies for our older adults. Participants were invited to complete the COVID-SCQ to capture their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. This data collection was planned in response to the pandemic and took place during the time when Wave 6 fieldwork was originally scheduled to take place. The TILDA COVID-19 Study covers a range of aspects of the lives of adults aged 60 years and older during the first few months of the pandemic. As well as information on changes to normal day activities due to social-distancing and other restrictions on social interactions, we examine how these alterations to peoples’ lives have impacted on their physical and mental wellbeing. The study also records peoples’ exposure to the virus as well as that of their families and friends.