You are never too old for contact lenses! Advances in optometric technology have made bifocal wearers prime candidates for contact lenses. The most promising technique for fitting the bifocal wearer with contacts is the "Near/Far Bifocal System" Here is how it works.
Your Brain Sees

The system is made possible by the fact that your eyes do not see--your brain does! Using the system, the brain receives a distance image from one eye, and a near image from the other. In effect, the brain integrates the two images to provide optimum vision. For that reason the near/far system is natural.

Want proof? Here is a simple experiment you can perform yourself. Take a piece of clear plastic wrap and stretch it out in front of one of your eyes. Close one eye at a time to be sure the uncovered eye sees clearly. The covered eye will still be able to see somewhat, just like a lens for the near vision allows you to see well enough for depth perception and natural peripheral vision. Look off in the distance for several minutes and you'll notice that in a very short time the brain will ignore the covered eye and for detailed information (clear vision) use the image from the uncovered eye to see. The same is true when you look up close.

One of the biggest advantages of the near/far system is the absence of bifocal lines that are present in both bifocal eyeglasses and bifocal contact lenses. Say good-bye to constant head adjustments necessary to see through your conventional bifocal lenses! Whether you look up, down, or sideways, you will always have distance and near vision at the same time.

How Long Does It Take To Become Comfortable With The System?

If you currently wear contact lenses, adaptation is extremely rapid, usually in only a few days. Also, adaptation is rapid for those people who just started to wear bifocals or reading glasses. In general, most people adjust quickly to this type of contact lens correction.

What Type Of Lenses Does The System Use.

One of the biggest advantages of this system is that oxygen permeable contact lenses can be used for prevention or vision improvement (Orthokeratology) at the same time. In addition, soft lenses can be used, as can extended (24 hour) wear lenses.

Is The Near/Far System Expensive?

Not really. A near/far contact lens fitting costs slightly more than a regular contact lens fitting. This extra fee is necessary due to the complexity of the fitting process and the additional office time required for fine tuning the prescription.