Not so long ago most people gave up wearing contact lenses once they passed 40 and needed a reading addition. These days we can offer clear vision at both distance and near to most people up to and beyond retirement age.
We have three options of increasing sophistication:
(1) Monovision
At it's simplest we correct your dominant eye with a distance lens and non dominant eye with a reading lens. Try this with specs and it rarely works. With contact lenses, as the eyes move with the lens, it works well in most cases.
(2) Bifocal contact lenses.
These use different "zones" for distance, intermediate and reading which come in depending on how open or closed the pupil is.
(3) Enhanced monovision
This is the latest and for some the most successful way of correcting vision. Two different bifocal contact lenses are worn, usually the dominant eye wears one weighted towards distance vision and the non dominant eye wears one mainly dealing with near vision.
I'll admit I was sceptical but the number of people getting the "Wow I can see without glasses!" factor has brought me round.
Until recently a major issue was that to get the best out of these lenses required consistent 6-7 days a week wear.
We now have the brand new 1-Day Acuvue moist multifocal lenses for those who might be happy with specs but want to have clear vision without for special occasions / sport or just when wearing specs isn't ideal.