ELDER CARE: Caring for California’s Aging Population : ‘It’s Best Not to Think of What’s Ahead; Just Live as You Go’

Since Sylvia Karp’s friend died, Thursday nights have never been the same.

“We would go downtown to the Ahmanson Theater on Thursday matinees,” she recalls.

“We’d stand in line and get senior citizen tickets and then we would go across the street to the Department of Water and Power and eat in the cafeteria. We used to sit there and we would talk about all the world’s problems, and we were so involved.”

Sylvia doesn’t go to the theater on Thursday nights any more for lack of interested companions. Instead, she meets Thursdays with friends to play bridge. On Tuesdays, she plays mah-jongg.

Losing friends to age has become all too common for Sylvia, 73, and her husband, Bernie, who live in Westwood.

“Having friends now is more important than what lies ahead in the future,” says Bernie, 76. “Who knows what tomorrow will bring?”

Bernie stays active by working part-time in a hardware store.

“Growing old isn’t the most graceful thing you can do,” Bernie says. “But if you stay active, it sort of takes the cutting edge off.”

Friends often approach the Karps for advice on how to cope with aging and the loss of close friends. Sylvia usually offers the same advice. “I suggest they go see counselors.”

A former volunteer at the Senior Health and Peer Counseling Center in Santa Monica, Sylvia says counseling is a good way for elderly people to find out how to stay independent.

When Sylvia needs help dealing with a problem, she says, “I call my daughter. She’s a psychologist.”

The Karps’ daughter recently asked them to consider moving closer to her home in Houston if their health care needs become more pressing.

But, until that happens, Sylvia and Bernie Karp won’t worry too much about what the future holds.

“In the course of aging, it’s best not to think of what’s ahead. Just live as you go along,” Bernie says.