Inappropriate prescription drug use is a serious health risk for elderly people, because they take more prescription drugs than other age groups and they are more likely to take several at once, according to a government report on health issues affecting the elderly. Nine out of 10 Americans report using medicines and more than half report regular prescription drug use. Nearly 33 percent have more than five prescription drugs in their medicine cabinets, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Alcohol tolerance drops as people age. The drink that once hardly affected a person is doubly potent in an aging body.
Less alcohol is metabolized in the stomach, placing additional burdens on the liver.
Older people report higher feelings of intoxication, cognitive function deficits, coordination and balance problems, according to Patient Care, a journal for physicians. Alcohol slows down brain activity. It impairs mental alertness, judgment, physical coordination and reaction time, increasing the risk of falls and accidents. Neuropsychologist Edith Sullivan, an associate professor at Stanford University, was part of a team that found proof of significant brain shrinkage in older people who drink. Today, Chris Stafford watches his grandson play and enjoys his daughter living with him.