World Senior Citizens Day: How to age-proof your home; Top 5 tips including grab bars used by Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan’s practical choices highlight how to age-proof homes for senior citizens with handrails and more!

Published on: Aug 21, 2025, 09:00:02 IST

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Amitabh Bachchan has long been admired for his towering presence and unmatched contribution to cinema. In recent years, though, the megastar has also offered glimpses into the realities of growing older. He has spoken about doctors advising him to sit while putting on his trousers and how he has had handrails installed across his home, Jalsa, for added safety. Far from being a sign of weakness, these choices reflect practicality, grace and the wisdom of adapting as age catches up.

Amitabh Bachchan inspires safer living as homes for senior citizens adapt with handrails, shower benches, brighter lighting and smart monitoring. (PTI)

By Neha Ravi Khandelwal

Neha Khandelwal
Content Lead, HT Travel | Travel & Lifestyle Journalist
With over 10 years of content writing experience, Neha Khandelwal is a lifestyle journalist and the Content Lead at HT Travel. She specialises in destinations, hotels, aviation, luggage, travel gear, and practical guides that help readers plan smarter and travel better. Her work combines first-hand experience, expert insights, and extensive research to create stories that are informative, useful, and easy to follow.

Career Journey & Experience
Neha began her writing career as a freelance journalist in 2010 before entering mainstream media with The Times of India in 2022. She later joined Hindustan Times, where she has written extensively across travel, lifestyle, home, and consumer trends. Her professional background extends beyond journalism. Before moving into digital media full-time, she spent nearly a decade in interior design, managing residential projects from concept to execution. She also trained in visual merchandising with Shoppers Stop and Pantaloons and worked with women-led startups across design and operations. These experiences continue to shape her storytelling, especially in how she evaluates hotels, design-led stays, hospitality spaces, and travel experiences.

A naturally curious learner, Neha has completed beginner certifications in pottery, scuba diving, baking, creative writing, and other creative pursuits. She has read more than 2,000 books, trained in Bharatanatyam for 8 years, and ghostwritten a book on Ladakh tourism.

Subject Expertise
Travel is at the heart of Neha's work. She covers destinations, hotels, airlines, luggage, packing strategies, travel accessories, and emerging travel trends through a mix of reporting, product testing, and conversations with industry experts. A frequent traveller herself, she approaches every trip with a journalist's curiosity and a planner's mindset, focusing on experiences that readers can realistically recreate. From choosing the right cabin bag to decoding hotel openings and destination trends, her writing prioritises practical advice over promotional claims. Her background in interior design also gives her a distinct perspective on architecture, hospitality design, boutique hotels, luxury stays, and thoughtfully designed spaces.

Education & Professional Background
Neha holds a Master's degree in Interior Design. Her early experience in interior design, visual merchandising, and design operations gives her a unique understanding of aesthetics, functionality, and user experience, adding depth to her coverage of hotels, resorts, and travel spaces.

Editorial Philosophy
"As an avid, research-driven traveller, my goal is simple. To answer the questions you actually have before booking a trip. I cut through the promotional noise with honest reporting and expert insights. Making travel planning seamless, smart, and reliable so you always know where to go next."

1. Install handrails

Hand bars and hand rails around key areas like corridors, bathrooms and staircases can be life-changing for those who need extra support. They provide balance, reduce strain and allow seniors to move with confidence. This is exactly what Amitabh Bachchan did at his residence, turning precaution into a sensible habit.

2. Add a shower bench

Bathrooms are common danger zones. Instead of opting for complex walk-in bathtubs, a sturdy shower bench offers a safer and simpler alternative. Avoid stools that can wobble. A bench designed for wet environments ensures seniors can bathe comfortably without the risk of slipping.

3. Replace thick rugs and carpets

While rugs may look cosy, they often curl at the edges and cause trips. Thick carpets can be equally tricky. Tile carpet flooring or thin, non-slip options are safer choices. These small changes make homes safer without taking away from comfort or style.

4. Brighten the lighting

Dimly lit corners may create ambience, but they also increase the risk of falls. Good visibility is essential for senior citizens. Use white light for living areas and fit nightlights along corridors, especially from the bed to the bathroom or kitchen. Late-night walks for water or medication should never be an obstacle course.

5. Install cameras and monitors

Technology is not only for young families. Two-way cameras with speakers allow constant connection, even when you are away at work. They add reassurance and provide an extra layer of safety, helping you keep an eye on elderly parents or grandparents without invading their independence.

Growing older is inevitable, but ageing gracefully is about being prepared. Amitabh Bachchan’s openness about his adjustments shows that safety is not just about prevention, but also about respecting the natural changes of age. On World Senior Citizens Day, let this be an invitation to think about the seniors at home and how a few simple changes can make their everyday lives safer, easier and filled with dignity.

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The author of this article holds a Master's Degree in Interior Design and has spent over a decade in research, teaching, and designing homes from scratch.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neha Khandelwal
Neha Khandelwal Content Lead, HT Travel | Travel & Lifestyle Journalist With over 10 years of content writing experience, Neha Khandelwal is a lifestyle journalist and the Content Lead at HT Travel. She specialises in destinations, hotels, aviation, luggage, travel gear, and practical guides that help readers plan smarter and travel better. Her work combines first-hand experience, expert insights, and extensive research to create stories that are informative, useful, and easy to follow. Career Journey & Experience Neha began her writing career as a freelance journalist in 2010 before entering mainstream media with The Times of India in 2022. She later joined Hindustan Times, where she has written extensively across travel, lifestyle, home, and consumer trends. Her professional background extends beyond journalism. Before moving into digital media full-time, she spent nearly a decade in interior design, managing residential projects from concept to execution. She also trained in visual merchandising with Shoppers Stop and Pantaloons and worked with women-led startups across design and operations. These experiences continue to shape her storytelling, especially in how she evaluates hotels, design-led stays, hospitality spaces, and travel experiences. A naturally curious learner, Neha has completed beginner certifications in pottery, scuba diving, baking, creative writing, and other creative pursuits. She has read more than 2,000 books, trained in Bharatanatyam for 8 years, and ghostwritten a book on Ladakh tourism. Subject Expertise Travel is at the heart of Neha's work. She covers destinations, hotels, airlines, luggage, packing strategies, travel accessories, and emerging travel trends through a mix of reporting, product testing, and conversations with industry experts. A frequent traveller herself, she approaches every trip with a journalist's curiosity and a planner's mindset, focusing on experiences that readers can realistically recreate. From choosing the right cabin bag to decoding hotel openings and destination trends, her writing prioritises practical advice over promotional claims. Her background in interior design also gives her a distinct perspective on architecture, hospitality design, boutique hotels, luxury stays, and thoughtfully designed spaces. Education & Professional Background Neha holds a Master's degree in Interior Design. Her early experience in interior design, visual merchandising, and design operations gives her a unique understanding of aesthetics, functionality, and user experience, adding depth to her coverage of hotels, resorts, and travel spaces. Editorial Philosophy "As an avid, research-driven traveller, my goal is simple. To answer the questions you actually have before booking a trip. I cut through the promotional noise with honest reporting and expert insights. Making travel planning seamless, smart, and reliable so you always know where to go next."Read More

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