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Marianne Blake has lived in the same home for nearly half a century. She plays bridge regularly, drives to her hair appointments and, at 88 years old, enjoys her independence.

But her daughter, who lives in a nearby neighborhood, isn't quite as carefree when it comes to her mom's well-being: Patty Soulsby often worries about whether her mother is keeping up with her medication.

"Mom's pretty good about taking her morning pills, but sometimes she won't take them until 2 p.m. or not at all. The evening pills are the harder ones to remember to take," Soulsby said. "She forgets, then she says she doesn't feel good. It's a vicious circle."

Blake recognizes her memory is not what it once was, but she is convinced she has it under control.

"Ask me what I did yesterday and I couldn't tell you," Blake said. "But I feel I still have the mental capacity. I'm comfortable in my home and I feel I can keep on living here."

Researchers estimate that 4.3 million older Americans live alone and have memory and thinking problems, representing about a quarter of older adults with dementia or mild cognitive impairment. Researchers worry that these challenges can lead to a heightened risk of medication errors, which have been shown to increase the odds of being hospitalized by 71%.

For families like the Soulsbys, the constant uncertainty often revolves around a single question: Did Mom take her medication?

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