As of 1 March 2021, Dutch ICMIF member Onderlinge ‘s-Gravenhage (OG) is offering a range of services to help elderly people to live more independently and comfortably at home for longer through its new online platform, ZilverHuis.

The ZilverHuis platform offers services to the elderly in four categories: home; care and safety; comfort and convenience; and financial services. Two tools can also be found on the service platform: the “Familiegesprek” (“Family Talk”) and the “ZilverHuis check”.

ZilverHuis hopes to help entire families with “Family Talk”. Users are able to find conversation starters that all generations can use to help them have the, sometimes somewhat difficult, conversation about later life.

With “ZilverHuis check”, the user answers a series of questions to get direct insight into the estimated costs of home modifications and services which will enable longer independent living at home.

OG is planning to further develop and expand the ZilverHuis platform in the future.

ZilverHuis: born from OG’s social commitment

OG has the ambition to support the elderly generation. As part of its social commitment, the mutual insurer sees that elderly people are faced with more and more challenges: their health and mobility are declining; they feel greater loneliness; and have a greater need for care and support. All of these often entails additional costs on a monthly basis, but also as one-off major expenses (eg home adaptions), which many elderly people cannot afford. There is also a growing need for financial solutions to help this age group, especially as the Dutch Government is increasingly cutting back on the healthcare system.

In November 2020, OG introduced ZilverHuis Hypotheek, a new mortgage product where elderly people can cash in (part of) the equity on their owner-occupied home. In this way, the elderly can make their home and living situation future-proof.

ZilverHuis Mortgage makes it possible for them to continue to live independently at home, in their familiar environment for as long as possible; whilst also ensuring no loss of home ownership or higher monthly payments.

With the introduction of this product, OG wants to help as many elderly people as possible remove some of the financial barriers to aging.

In the coming years, OG will focus on developing products and services that meet the needs of people in the second half of their lives. The company wants to offer them support and give further substance to its role in society as a mutual insurer.