"Mattering"
November 3, 2026
Why Does it Matter?Opinion: Morgan HinklemanWhen people think about retirement, they often think about financial preparation. But studies show this might be only part of the puzzle when it comes to a sense of fulfillment in retirement. Jennifer Breheny Wallace talks about this sense of mattering in her article, The Retirement Crisis No One Warns You About: Mattering. Mattering is so much more complicated and important than many of us realize, and I think it all stems from the idea that we stop becoming. Or in other words, we believe that our value and purpose we work all our lives to understand and establish, goes away once we stop working. Why should it?Wallace describes how very few of us prepare for what she calls “…our mattering span, or how we will continue to feel seen, useful and capable of making a difference in this next chapter of life.” At the core, Wallace wants us to understand that mattering is the “sense that we are valued by others and that we have value to add to the world.” Lifestyle planning is the strongest predictor of retirement satisfaction and mental health, which can be seen in the testimonies Wallace shares. Julie Mahoney’s story particularly, demonstrates how to take the right steps back to mattering. Throughout these testimonies, each person, “had carried a thread of their former identity into their next chapter.” Read more about Wallace’s ideas here! This idea of mattering is extremely impactful and continually comes up when we talk about aging. But why? While I completely agree with Wallace, I think there is an even deeper meaning here rooted in what society tells us about aging in general. Society pushes subliminal and some very overt messaging onto us regarding aging, often linked to ageism. Mattering isn’t something that just comes up later in life, lots of us deal with finding ways to matter as we go through major transitions, moves, jobs, etc. However, popular stereotypes tell us aging and then retiring, means you are not of use to society anymore. This is one of the reasons I believe what Wallace is talking about in her article, is a problem in the first place. Yes, lifestyle planning is extremely important for retirees to stay active and involved, giving them a sense of usefulness. But when did we, as a society stop respecting and depending on our elders as important pillars of knowledge? A lot of the ads, sentiment, and language we see in our day to day seems to want to combat against aging. But I think that when we start embracing aging, and stop thinking about seniors as past their prime, the problem of mattering will improve. Who you have worked to be your entire life, and the valuable lessons learned along the way don’t stop just because you don’t have a job anymore. In fact, having those experiences will continue to inspire, shape, and help the next generations and those around you if you believe that you are still useful and matter.You are still becoming.It’s not just an older adult thing; it’s an intergenerational thing. If I’m being honest, if you would have told me this a few months ago, I may not have understood it – and I’m nowhere near an expert. But now, being in a position where we are trying to change that narrative at Still Hopes, it becomes almost impossible to deny the cacophony of noise surrounding growing older. I hope to be a voice that contributes to this topic, and I hope to do that with my capstone project. I will be working on a project in an effort to highlight the residents here at Still Hopes and shed light on what senior living is really like. The misconception around older adults is especially prevalent when thinking about the retirement community environment, and I want to help change that! I have decided to produce and host video podcast-style sit down interviews featuring the residents here, where we will explore topics that challenge these ideas.
Read Latest ArticleMore Stories
From the Blog
Resident Recipes: Paper Bag Ham
Senior living must build careers, not fill vacancies | Opinion
Recently, Leigh Anna Compton spoke to Newsweek about something on our minds here at Still Hopes. With the influx of the Baby Boomer generation, conversations nationally have begun naming the care worker gap we are about to experience. That is a huge obstacle we all as a field must overcome, yes. However, who's community runs on care workers alone?We need people across all business functions, from accounting, to trades, to hospitality, yet senior living remains largely invisible to future professionals. We have to address our own visibility problem while showing those who already work with us that they can build their careers in senior living. Buildings without people serve no one. More from Director of Human Resources in Newsweek! Read the article
The Silver Tsunami
What does it mean for us?“The Silver Tsunami”…that term is just everywhere these days, isn’t it? That’s because the United States is undergoing one of the largest demographic shifts to date, and it is impossible to ignore. It refers to the seismic wave of adults turning 65 in record numbers, and the socioeconomic changes felt by its arrival. It’s a change that will have ripple effects until it reaches every sector of our lives from housing to medical care to infrastructure and everything in between. Recently, our President and CEO, Donald Lilly, sat down with both Newsweek and Reader’s Digest to talk about it, and what it means for adults like you, your friends, and your family. It’s not just a headline, it’s your hallway Here’s the number that gets everyone’s attention: roughly 12,000 Americans turn 65 every single day. By 2030, every baby boomer will have hit that mark. That’s not some far-off projection, it’s happening now, and you’re living right in the middle of it. You already know the demand for good communities is growing. Every month when Amanda reports that we are fully reserved, or every time your bridge group friend tells you they joined the waitlist and still haven’t had their number called, you can feel the way this scarcity is mounting. What you may not know is just how tight things are getting. Donald told Newsweek plainly: there’s about to be a real shortage of good places to live. But, you’re already here… We’re so glad you are! This shift will affect anyone and everyone in some roundabout way, but here’s the part that hits closest to home for you all: your friends who want to join you, or who keep putting off that tour, may have to wait. Communities like Still Hopes have multi-year waitlists, and Donald’s message is simple: don’t wait for a health scare to force the decision. Start looking sooner than feels necessary. He suggests exploring communities around age 70, so it feels like choosing, not settling. For many of you or your fellow residents, that’s their adult children. Have they had the conversation? Believe it or not, there is good news here. Communities that don’t continue to adapt and invest in its lifestyle and offerings will get left behind, regardless of the demand. The team here will not let us get left behind. It’s why we keep investing in the life you’re already living here: our wellness programs, our dining, the way we support both body and mind. Still Hopes’ philosophy is that senior living shouldn’t be the place where life gets smaller. It should be where you keep living fully, and that’s what we’re building toward, every day, for you. Your takeaway? You’re riding the wave with a community that’s keeping the future in mind. And while we all embrace this new societal reality together, we are doing our part to ensure older adults are as well equipped to enter this incredible stage of life as you all were. Read the full features: “Senior Living Must Reinvent Itself Before Demand Surges Beyond Control” As seen in Newsweek Click to Read the Article “Here’s Why Waiting to Plan May Be the Biggest Risk You Take With Your Retirement” As seen in Reader's Digest Click to Read the Article
Finding Joy
The Girl with Open ArmsEllen WilliamsI don’t want to call myself corrupt, but I will say some baklava was hand delivered to me personally in exchange for chasing down this story. In all honesty, I would have done it, sweet treats or not – Joy happens to be my favorite piece of art around campus, and I love paying her visits on lovely afternoons. Resident Nikki Fallis approached me about doing a piece on “Joy.” When her family was waiting to pick her up the other month, her little grandniece Penelope saw her standing proudly outside of building six and promptly ran and took her hand. Nikki’s family is Greek, and little Penelope couldn’t help but imitate Greek dancing with her new bronzed partner. That is the kind of thing this statue seems to invite. People don’t just look at her. They join her. (function() { document.querySelectorAll('[data-gallery-thumb]').forEach(function(thumb) { thumb.addEventListener('click', function() { var index = this.getAttribute('data-gallery-thumb'); var gallery = this.closest('.vizy-image-gallery'); // Update main images gallery.querySelectorAll('.gallery-main-image').forEach(function(img) { img.classList.remove('active'); if (img.getAttribute('data-gallery-image') === index) { img.classList.add('active'); } }); // Update thumbnail borders gallery.querySelectorAll('.gallery-thumbnail').forEach(function(t) { t.classList.remove('border-emerald'); t.classList.add('border-transparent'); }); this.classList.remove('border-transparent'); this.classList.add('border-emerald'); }); }); })(); .gallery-main-image { display: none; position: absolute; inset: 0; } .gallery-main-image.active { display: block; } .gallery-thumbnails { scrollbar-width: thin; scrollbar-color: #897F6E #E5E1D8; } .gallery-thumbnails::-webkit-scrollbar { height: 6px; } .gallery-thumbnails::-webkit-scrollbar-track { background: #E5E1D8; border-radius: 3px; } .gallery-thumbnails::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { background: #897F6E; border-radius: 3px; } .gallery-thumbnails::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover { background: #2D4453; } Betty Allison poses with Joy in her new home in front of building 6.“I think it is beautiful — it makes me happy when I see it,” Nikki told me. I couldn’t agree more. Nikki pointed me in the direction of Ann and Elizabeth Allison, second-generation Still Hopes residents. Their father was a Day Program participant decades ago, and their mother, Betty Allison, lived in Evergreen and eventually Jane Bruce for almost 20 years following his passing. We have Betty to thank for “Joy,” as she was her gift to Still Hopes. She loved the look of “Joy,” and she was quite fond of her sculptor. Her son Robert, Ann and Elizabeth’s brother, was the artist! “I can still recall my mother always telling him to pick up his clay off the floor,” Ann remarks. That childhood passion turned into quite a prolific career. Robert’s work is now featured in several galleries, and in the famous Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado. I had a chance to ask Robert about how Joy came to be. “She came about as one of three figures that were commissioned for a fountain for the city of Orangeburg,” he told me. The model wasn’t one of his own children - he learned early in his career that if he sculpted one of his kids, the other would get their feelings hurt. So, he used a neighbor’s child instead, and out of that came Joy: a girl in motion, one of three figures now part of a fountain installed in Orangeburg, and, in a smaller edition of just five castings, a solitary figure who found her way to Still Hopes. (function() { document.querySelectorAll('[data-gallery-thumb]').forEach(function(thumb) { thumb.addEventListener('click', function() { var index = this.getAttribute('data-gallery-thumb'); var gallery = this.closest('.vizy-image-gallery'); // Update main images gallery.querySelectorAll('.gallery-main-image').forEach(function(img) { img.classList.remove('active'); if (img.getAttribute('data-gallery-image') === index) { img.classList.add('active'); } }); // Update thumbnail borders gallery.querySelectorAll('.gallery-thumbnail').forEach(function(t) { t.classList.remove('border-emerald'); t.classList.add('border-transparent'); }); this.classList.remove('border-transparent'); this.classList.add('border-emerald'); }); }); })(); .gallery-main-image { display: none; position: absolute; inset: 0; } .gallery-main-image.active { display: block; } .gallery-thumbnails { scrollbar-width: thin; scrollbar-color: #897F6E #E5E1D8; } .gallery-thumbnails::-webkit-scrollbar { height: 6px; } .gallery-thumbnails::-webkit-scrollbar-track { background: #E5E1D8; border-radius: 3px; } .gallery-thumbnails::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { background: #897F6E; border-radius: 3px; } .gallery-thumbnails::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover { background: #2D4453; } “Mom really liked the sculpture and wanted one at Still Hopes [...] so she got one.” — Robert Allison I asked Robert whether he felt any particular connection to Still Hopes because of the statue standing here. I would imagine most artists pour so much of themselves into their work that it may feel like a piece of them existing externally in the world.“The answer is yes,” he said, “but I think I would feel a connection even if she was not there.” When he and his siblings visited their mother over the years, they stayed with her here, and those visits left him with what he called a lot of fond memories of her at Still Hopes. The statue didn’t create that bond. It’s simply where the bond happens to live now, out where anyone walking by can share in it.Betty Allison spent almost twenty years of her life here, and when she wanted to leave something behind, she chose joy itself. Two of her children now walk this campus today. And so does Joy — mid-step, smiling, waiting for whoever is running late to stop, and dance.Read more stories in our Connections magazine. Connections Magazine
Resident Recipes: Chicken Scarpariello
Turn your home into a cozy Italian restaurant for a night when you make Chicken Scarpariello. Nicknamed “Shoemaker’s Chicken,” this rustic and hearty recipe is the perfect Italian-American dish. Scarpariello comes from the Italian word “scarparo” which means shoemaker and is often made with chicken and Italian sausage. The special thing about this recipe is the sautéed mushrooms, an antioxidant-rich ingredient that brings a new flavor to the dish. Chicken Scarpariello offers robust flavors–a warm, savory dish perfect for any weeknight. Make this dish your own by adding sweet or spicy peppers, onions, or Italian sausage. Additionally, you can substitute the white wine for apple cider vinegar or chicken broth if desired.High in protein, moist and flavorful, Chicken Scarpariello is the star of your next Italian night. Pair it on your favorite pasta or even on rice. This recipe is easy to make and follow and will impress any crowd. It only takes 30min to bring a little piece of Italy right into your kitchen. After you try it once, you’ll be sure to make it again and again!Thank you to Amy Webb for sharing her mother's delicious recipe with us.
Waiting to Plan? It Might Be Your Biggest Retirement Risk
When should you really start thinking about senior living? If you're picturing your late 70s or early 80s, our own CEO, Donald Lilly, has some advice that might surprise you.In a new feature with Reader's Digest, Lilly opens up about the one mistake he sees again and again: waiting too long to start the conversation. As he puts it, "the biggest issue I see is that people wait too long to start looking and their choices become limited."The article digs into why timing matters so much right now, how the best communities are filling up faster than ever, what happens to your options when you wait for a health scare to force the decision, and why the smartest move might be to start exploring around age 70, not 80.It's a candid, practical read for anyone thinking about their own future, or a loved one's.👉 Read the full article on Reader's Digest: Here's Why Waiting to Plan May Be the Biggest Risk You Take With Your Retirement
Still Hopes Named One of the 17 Best Nursing Homes in South Carolina
South Carolina's population is aging fast — the median age jumped from around 36 in 2010 to 40 in 2020, and by 2034 older adults could outnumber children nationwide for the first time in U.S. history. Against that backdrop, U.S. News & World Report released its latest nursing home rankings, and Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community made the cut.Hot Points:A five-star distinction. Out of 188 nursing homes evaluated across South Carolina, only 17 earned a perfect overall rating of five out of five — and Still Hopes is one of them. High performing where it counts. To earn the ranking, a facility must be "high performing" in short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, or both — meaning real, measurable quality of care.A trusted nonprofit choice. As a nonprofit, church-affiliated community offering continuing care, Still Hopes stands out among a list dominated by larger corporate and for-profit operators. Read the full ranking in the state
SCETV Spotlights Aging & Caregiving — Featuring Still Hopes Leadership
South Carolina's aging story made statewide TV. SCETVs investigative series IMPACT South Carolina released a new episode, "The Silver Tsunami," examining how South Carolinians are preparing — or not — for a historic demographic shift: by 2030, older adults will outnumber children for the first time ever. The episode was followed by a live taping of Palmetto Perspectives, "Parenting Our Parents," featuring former Still Hopes CEO Danny Sanford.Hot Points:A statewide lens on a personal issue. The episode dives into housing, healthcare, finances, legal planning, and caregiving — the full picture of what aging well requires.Real stories, real communities. Producers visited senior centers and retirement communities across South Carolina, including voices from Still Hopes leadership, to show what aging with dignity can look like.A conversation for every family. The companion Palmetto Perspectives episode brought caregiving professionals and family advocates together to talk openly about planning ahead — a topic that touches nearly every household. Watch the full SCETV feature
Still Hopes CEO Starts the Conversation, and Points the Way Forward, on Senior Living
Roughly 12,000 Americans turn 65 every day, and by 2030 every Baby Boomer will be 65 or older. In a national Newsweek essay, Donald Lilly, President and CEO of Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community, explains why senior living has to evolve now — not later — to meet the coming wave of demand.Hot Points:"It's not just housing anymore." Lilly says today's older adults want wellness, experience, and meaningful connection — and communities that don't adapt risk becoming obsolete.A new definition of success. Still Hopes is investing in programming that builds physical, cognitive, nutritional, and social wellness before residents ever need higher levels of care — helping people stay independent longer. Thinking beyond the campus. As a nonprofit, Still Hopes is pursuing new partnerships and service models to reach older adults who may never move onto a physical campus but still deserve support and connection."Senior living should never be the place where life gets smaller. It should be a place where people continue to live fully, stay connected, and thrive." — Donald Lilly, CEO Read the full Newsweek feature
Resident Recipes: Best-Ever Banana Split Dessert
We all have that family recipe that makes our mouths start to water just thinking about it. There’s nothing like getting together with friends or family to share a tasty treat and make memories at the kitchen table. Whether you're making a dessert the night before a big event or sharing recipes with loved ones in your life, this Banana Split Dessert is perfect.This recipe is easy to make, doesn’t require any baking, and tastes delicious! With a graham cracker crust and a sweet and creamy filling, this recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It’s easy to customize as well, just add your favorite toppings like chocolate syrup, strawberries, pecans, or sprinkles, or even a few candles for a birthday celebration. Good desserts remind us of laughter, of celebration, and of sharing a slice after dinner at Nana's house. From pies and chess squares to ice cream sundaes, trying out new recipes with family is one of the best ways to connect, and this Best Ever Banana Split Dessert is perfect for sharing with loved ones. So get together with your kids, grandkids, bible study, or anyone with a sweet tooth, and enjoy this Best-Ever Banana Split Dessert!A special shout-out to Ruth Marcus and her family for submitting this recipe.
Resident Recipes: Watermelon Salad
As warmer weather is upon us, it’s time to beat the heat with refreshing recipes like this watermelon salad! Whether you are planning a summer brunch, enjoying lunch with family and friends, or bringing a dish to dinner, this recipe is simple and delicious. Another plus, this recipe is a great source of healthy fats, keeping you full for longer and supporting heart health. With Vitamins C, A, B6, potassium, and magnesium, watermelon salad is an excellent healthy choice for older adults looking to combat dehydration and fight muscle loss. Calcium and Vitamin K also help maintain bone density so you can stay strong!With only 5 steps, you can make a perfect salad to impress your guests! A refreshing watermelon salad is the perfect picnic or potluck dish on its own or paired with a glazed grilled chicken or crispy salmon bites for some extra protein! The melon is a lovely foil for the salty feta, spicy onion, and tart vinegar. A big thank you to resident Liz Wheeler for this delicious recipe we’ll all be enjoying this summer!