I agree that the 1911 is a good pistol for some folks with aging hands, including mine*. The short-stroke trigger is not difficult to manage, the thumb safety is within reach of most thumbs, and is easy to manage. (I have relatively short thumbs.) Steel damps recoil. The relatively low bore axis minimizes muzzle flip. The original chambering, .45 ACP, has a gentle acceleration curve, which makes the rise of the muzzle nicely gradual, compared to some other auto-pistol cartridges. Should weakened hands fumble and drop the pistol, well, the grip safety was designed with cavalry troops in mind, as a drop safety.
I do not see how safety is “compromised,” with a properly-assembled, properly-maintained 1911, unless, of course, the user, himself/herself, is unsafe. The Colt Series 80 safety system can assuage worries about drop safety. If I just had to drop a handgun, I might rather it be a Series 80 Colt 1911, than any weapon on the planet.
To be clear, I am not trying to be argumentative, or trying to pick a fight.
I just do not want anyone to be too quick to dismiss the usefulness, or the safety, of a 1911.
*After a pause of nearly a decade, I resumed carrying a 1911, at age 50, during personal time. My duty SIG P229 had to be chambered for the .40 S&W, per PD policy, but, I could carry a kinder, gentler pistol during personal time, as “Arthur Itis” because a constant companion. I have mostly been carrying long-stroke DA revolvers, in retirement, but, at age 61, am already feeling weakening of my trigger-pulling muscles, especially in my right hand, which cannot be maintained by “working out.” So, I am maintaining my 1911 skills.