Safe Senior Living: How ADA Threshold Ramps Help Prevent Falls

For older adults, something as minor as a floor transition or raised threshold can quickly become a serious fall risk  

During a visit to my parents’ home, I witnessed a moment I’ll never forget. My father, who loved tending his backyard garden, stepped through the sliding door—a threshold just ¾” high—and tripped. I rushed over to find him face down, his arms pinned beneath him, his head mere inches from an upturned iron rake.  He was spared serious injury that day, but the incident left a lasting impression.

A Personal Story That Inspired SafePath’s Mission

For Tim Vander Heiden founder and CEO SafePath Products®, this close call in the garden strengthened his belief that thresholds matter and deepened his commitment to manufacturing recycled rubber accessibility products like threshold ramps, entry-level landings and floor reducers. 

“As people age, their gait often changes—they don’t lift their feet as high as they once did,” Vander Heiden said. “Even modest thresholds can become significant trip hazards.

Why Threshold Safety Matters for Older Adults

Thom Disch in his book Stop the Slip, warns “Falls are the #1 reason for emergency room visits every year, almost four times more frequent than auto accidents.”  The CDC reports that in 2023 alone, over 41,000 retirement-age Americans died as a result of falls.

SafePath Products® ADA-Compliant Accessibility Solutions

For the past 14 years, SafePath Products®, a subsidiary of Van Duerr Industries, Chico, California has successfully produced and marketed affordable ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant products for the world marketplace. 

SafePath Products® was the first company to patent and produce recycled rubber transition ramps for the architectural and door hardware industry. 

“These ADA-compliant recycled rubber threshold ramps and transition solutions are specially designed for senior care environments,” Vander Heiden said. 

Why Recycled Rubber Threshold Ramps Are a Safer Choice

SafePath Products® ramps feature slip-resistant rubber surfaces for stability and grip. Made with tire-derived crumb rubber mixed with a binder and compression molded with thousands of pounds of pressure, the ramps are an extremely durable product with no load weight limitations, Vander Heiden said. 

While metal or aluminum ramps are popular threshold choices, SafePath Products® ramps are solid, soundless, accessible, shock absorbing, modular and less expensive to purchase and install. 

Recycled rubber level landing and ramping systems have the advantage of being easily cut to fit in the field and can be attached with adhesives or other fastening device, Vander Heiden said 

Despite the clear risks, achieving proper threshold heights in multifamily housing (MFH) is not always straightforward. Developers and property managers must contend with variations in floor elevations, the complexities of retrofitting older buildings, and the need to balance weatherproofing with accessibility. 

“You might think that threshold heights can be adapted as needed, but this is a persistent industry myth, ” Vander Heiden said. Unlike features such as grab bars, thresholds are never an adaptable feature in original construction. They are fixed accessibility requirements, and for good reason. 

In reality, all primary and secondary thresholds in MFH projects are subject to strict, non-negotiable regulations. Failing to comply can expose property owners to significant penalties and liabilities. 

Properties built in 1991 or later and containing more than four units, threshold heights—especially at unit entries and interior doors—are tightly regulated under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). 

Primary and secondary door thresholds are generally allowed up to 3/4” in height, if beveled, with a vertical rise of no more than ¼ inch, Vander Heiden said. 

A preferable threshold for primary entrances is 1/2”. In certain regions (such as coastal areas), there may be a greater differential (up to 1-1/2”) between the exterior landing and interior floor, but slopes must not exceed 1:2 (or 1/8” per foot) 

Any change in level greater than 1/2 inch (or 3/4 inch at entries) is not permitted unless a ramp is installed at a 1:12 slope. Local and national codes may impose even stricter requirements. 

Why Accessible Thresholds Matter in Senior Living

Thresholds are more than just a transition between spaces. For residents using wheelchairs, walkers, or pushing strollers, a poorly designed threshold can be a daily obstacle. Even minor height differences can create trip hazards, impede mobility, and erode the comfort and independence residents deserve. 

One of the most common risks in senior housing is uneven flooring — a subtle but serious hazard that increases the chances of falls. In facilities where residents use walkers, canes, or wheelchairs, uneven flooring, door thresholds, and height variations between rooms can impact both comfort and safety.  “These seemingly small issues can lead to big consequences,” Vander Heiden said. 

In 2023, there were 17,986 complaints of disability discrimination filed with fair housing organizations. Accessible thresholds help prevent injuries, support aging-in-place, attract a broader tenant base, and reduce the risk of costly defect claims during property sales or transfers. Most importantly, they help senior living facilities avoid significant fines and legal headaches. 

“Accessible design is an investment in a property’s long-term value and appeal. “It’s about creating homes where people of all ages and abilities can thrive.” Vander Heiden said. 

Universal Design Creates Safer Spaces

SafePath Products® is committed to eliminating structural barriers by incorporating universal design– a broader architectural philosophy that goes beyond the minimum accessibility requirements. 

The goal of universal design is to create spaces that are inherently usable by all people, regardless of age, size, or ability, Vander Heiden said. 

SafePath Products® mission is to make accessibility a standard, not an exception and to do it using sustainable manufacturing technology and 100 percent recycled materials. 

Vander Heiden, a self-described entrepreneur, is also a self-described advocate of eco-friendly material recycling, reuse and repurposing. 

“At SafePath Products®, we transform crumb rubber from used tires into safe, affordable, functional ramps with the help of heavy-duty hydraulic presses, high quality molds and cutting machines,” he said. 

In the third quarter of last year alone, SafePath Products® diverted 2,290,730 pounds of rubber tires from heading to a landfill. “We’ve diverted millions of tires from landfills by creating an entire product line using recycled rubber,” he said. 

Last year, the company added a patented breakthrough colorization process to its product line that delivers consistency in colorization, high UV protection, wear resistance, and elongation properties, addressing critical durability concerns. 

It effectively encapsulates existing materials within the recycled tire product, preventing off-gassing and ensuring environmentally safe, enduring products.  An unintended positive outcome of this technology is the long-lasting visual signal it imparts in recycled tire rubber molded products, enhancing both safety and aesthetic appeal.

The significance of vibrant, long-lasting, UV-stable products crafted from recycled tire material cannot be overstated, Vander Heiden said.  SafePath Products® palette of colors not only opens new possibilities for recycled rubber products, but adds a visual safety element to threshold ramps  and  floor transition systems especially important for accessibility for people of all ages and abilities whether in senior living environments, homes, commercial buildings or public spaces.

Originally Featured in Scrap Tire News Magazine