The Intellectual Disability Supplement to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA) examines ageing among people with an intellectual disability (ID) aged 40+ years in the Republic of Ireland. IDS-TILDA, through alignment with The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), remains the only study to compare ageing among people with ID with those ageing among the general population.
IDS-TILDA identifies principal influences on ageing in persons with ID by examining interpersonal relationships, social inclusion and participation, self-determination, social and psychological well-being, physical well-being, and health and social care supports.
In Wave 6, IDS-TILDA will continue to collect a core set of data and examine the principal influences on successful ageing, including health characteristics and health status; service needs and health service utilisation; risk factors for ill health, facilitators of good health; social determinants of health; experiences and preferences in the social aspects of people’s lives; attitudes to ageing; employment, social engagement, recreation, decision-making, financial literacy, universal and targeted supports, trends in friendships, personal and sexual relationships; and experiences of discrimination.
There will be a sample refresh to ensure continued national representativeness, and Wave 6 findings will be compared with those of previous Waves and with TILDA findings for the general population.
Co-researcher and PPI panel involvement will increase in Wave 6 as will engagement with Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), Department of Health (DOH), Health Service Executive (HSE), disability, ageing, and other governmental agencies, provider representatives, advocacy organizations, families, and people with intellectual disabilities. Data files will become publicly available and there will be increased opportunities for researchers from other institutions and providers to access data and become members of the research team. Leadership will transition to co-applicants as the project progresses. PPI co-researchers and governmental and provider partners will ensure the broadest dissemination of findings.