Category
Eye Health
Robert Laura, 18 May 2026

3 Things to Consider as Your Eyes Age

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Your vision matters more than ever in retirement.

Optometrist Dr. Nicholas ("Nick") Rashid understands this deeply. In fifth grade, he put on glasses and saw the leaves on trees with crystal clarity for the first time, a moment of freedom that inspired his life's mission to help protect the gift of sight for others. After 24 years in practice, he's learned that this protection enables independence, connection, and the freedom to live fully.

Robert (“Bob”) Laura, a retirement expert and founder of the Retirement Coaches Association, is learning this lesson firsthand. At 54, vision decline has become personal; he reaches for his readers constantly throughout the day and admits, "I'm angry at my eyes." But what worries him more is what he hears from his clients. They're not driving at night anymore; they're struggling with activities they planned for; and nobody prepared them for how much their vision would change.

Both Bob and Dr. Nick see the same truth: Vision changes aren't typically part of the retirement planning conversation, but they should be.

Join us for a compelling conversation that uncovers surprising insights and explores the three most important things every retiree should know about their vision.

1) Protect & Preserve Your Retirement Dreams with Eye Health

As retirees approach their 60s and 70s, vision changes feel inevitable with cataracts forming, dry eyes emerging, and prescriptions shifting. But here's what Dr. Rashid and Bob want every retiree to know: there are proven ways to protect and preserve the eye health you have. The good news is that it's not too late to make a difference.

Bob Laura: We've spoken before about how ironic it is that our senses tend to retire at the same time we do. You finally have the freedom to live how you want, and suddenly your vision is declining. What are some typical things that new or soon-to-be retirees start dealing with right when they stop working?

Dr. Rashid: By 60 to 65, most people have adapted to reading glasses. But that's when cataracts and dry eyes become common concerns. Usually, the blurriness people experience is a combination of dry eyes and early cataracts forming.

Bob Laura: Growing up, we were always told to eat carrots to help our vision. So, what can people who are 50, 60, or 70 actually do to improve their eye health? Are there supplements that work?

Dr. Rashid: There is truth to the carrot advice! Leafy greens, bright-colored peppers, fish, salmon, and omega-3s all support eye health. At our age, it's not too late. We can hold onto the eye health we have. For conditions like macular degeneration, vitamin therapy can help prolong your vision. Omega-3s and fish oils are particularly important for dry eyes. There are also solutions like anti-reflective coatings on glasses that reduce glare and treatments like IPL that reduce dryness substantially.

3 Things to Consider as Your Eyes Age

2) Create A Health Team to Optimize Your Retirement

Your annual eye exam is far more than a vision test. It's a preventive health screening that can help your eye doctor detect systemic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, glaucoma¹, and even early signs of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's before other doctors catch them. Bob and Dr. Rashid agree it’s a critical part of every retiree’s health plan.

Bob Laura: This is something I've been thinking about as retirees age. Are you seeing things in eye exams beyond just vision? Can you tell if someone's diabetic, or at risk of a stroke, or other health issues?

Dr. Rashid: Your eyes are the window to the soul, literally. When we look into the back of your eyes at the retina, we can see so much more than just vision. We've been able to help monitor diabetes and blood pressure for years. Now, with advanced technology and AI, we're seeing early signs of glaucoma, and research is even pointing to early Alzheimer's and Parkinson's detection through the retina. An annual eye exam is becoming more important than ever because we're learning so much more and connecting those systemic markers to overall health.

Bob Laura: So, as we're thinking about retirement, an eye doctor should be part of your health team in retirement, just like your primary doctor, audiologist, etc.?

Dr. Rashid: Absolutely. Once people recognize that an eye exam is more than just reading 20/20, everything changes. An annual exam isn't just about glasses anymore. It's preventive health care.

3) Bridge Coverage Gaps to Keep Vision Affordable in Retirement

One of the toughest surprises for many retirees is realizing that vision care may not be covered the way they expected. Original Medicare generally does not cover routine eyewear*, which can leave people paying out of pocket for exams, lenses, frames, and other vision-related needs at a stage of life when budgets often matter more than ever.

Bob Laura: I know many retirees new to Medicare are confused about what it covers. What's been your experience with how older adults, especially those transitioning to retirement, learn these things the hard way?

Dr. Rashid: A very high percentage of people new to Medicare are confused about what it covers. Here's the real shock: Some Medicare plans don’t cover anything in eyewear. After cataract surgery, you get one pair of basic single vision glasses, but that's it. Vision care costs are also rising at 5 to 7 percent annually². Contact lenses, frames, coatings, everything's going up.

Bob Laura: So, eyewear gets more expensive every year while your coverage stays the same.

Dr. Rashid: Exactly. That's why having vision insurance becomes increasingly important. Your costs stay predictable while eyewear expenses keep climbing. I think a big reason you need insurance in retirement is that you probably finally need the bells and whistles. You might need anti-glare coatings or a different pair of glasses for night driving versus sunlight.

Make These Three Commitments Now

The most reassuring part of Bob and Dr. Rashid’s conversation is that while aging brings changes, taking care of your vision in retirement comes down to three things: being proactive about your eye health, building a health care team that includes an eye doctor, and planning your insurance before you transition to Medicare. Do those three things now, and you'll help protect the independence and quality of life you've earned.

¹ American Optometric Association, “See the Full Picture of Your Health with an Annual Comprehensive Eye Exam,” accessed June 12, 2026, AOA, https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/full-picture-of-eye-health.

² VSP Vision Care, “Vision Benefits: The Surprising Solution to Curb Rising Healthcare Costs,” accessed May 21, 2026, VSP Vision Care, https://visioncare.vsp.com/solutions-healthcare-costs.

** Check your Medicare Plan to see if your vision care needs are covered and/or if a VSP Individual Vision Plan is right for you. VSP Individual Vision Plans does not coordinate benefits with Medicare.

Click here to read the full interview transcript

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Bob Laura: I appreciate the partnership, Dr. Nick. And I do love VSP and what they're doing, what they represent. But really, most of the people in my association are 50 plus. And I'm 54, and I'm angry at my eyes. My workout now is putting my readers on 400 times a day. So, I have a genuine interest in this. I think it's really good for people to be aware of what's coming.

Dr. Rashid: I'm 51, so I get it. I'm into this conversation full throttle. And honestly, one of my favorite stories is from fifth grade. I had my first eye exam, got my first pair of glasses. When I put them on for the first time, I saw leaves on trees. I didn't have to walk up to the tree. They were just there. In that moment, I said to my mom, "I'm going to be an eye doctor." It's on all my report cards. I've been doing this now for 24 years, and I still love it.

Bob Laura: What stands out for you? What do you enjoy about it most?

Dr. Rashid: I see kids having that same moment all the time. It's even better when the parents have never worn glasses. They see their child's reaction. That moment of being able to give someone vision is fantastic. I love it.

Bob Laura: So, I'd love to understand more about how our eyes work. When we're born, we see so well. When do problems typically show up? And when do things really start to change in our eyes across different decades?

Dr. Rashid: Well, the most common thing in younger kids is nearsightedness, myopia. That's typically in the younger generation and has gotten worse with computers and phones. That usually peaks around the mid-20s to 30. But 40 is the magic age. Whether you're 40, 45, or 50, it's happening. I don't care how many days a week you go to the gym. It's happening anyway.

When someone is 55, 56, 57 and says, "I have perfect vision, I don't need glasses up close," that means you need them in the distance. If you can see up close, you can't see far away. It's the same thing. The good news is there are advancements now, because the most frustrating prescription I see is people who've seen perfectly their entire life and suddenly need glasses to see their phone.

Bob Laura: What happens physically to our eyes as we get older?

Dr. Rashid: Presbyopia is the fancy term. It's really about the lens in the center of your eye. It has a muscle that contracts the lens to help you focus. That muscle just doesn't do it as much as we age. So, the ability for that lens to flex to help you see up close gets worse. That's why your vision up close is declining.

Bob Laura: And it seems like vision tends to retire around the same time we do, whether it's 50, 55, or 60. What are the typical things you see in new or soon-to-be retirees coming in, especially around ages 60 to 65?

Dr. Rashid: By 60 to 65, most people have pretty much adapted to reading glasses, so that's not as traumatic anymore. But that's when early discussions about cataracts and dry eyes become conversations. The lens in your eye, where cataracts form, starts to change. Once that happens, your prescription starts to change too. Usually, the blurriness people experience is a combination of dry eyes and an early cataract forming.

Bob Laura: How do you know if your eye is dry enough or if a cataract is forming? And how do you encourage people to come see you?

Dr. Rashid: Guys are the worst with this. They just come in with vision already pretty blurry, and they're still kind of like, "Well, let's talk about it." The most common thing I see is patients coming in with watery eyes. They might be here because their vision up close is blurry. I'll say, "I see you keep wiping your eyes." They say, "Yeah, my eyes water all the time." I tell them, "That's probably the top symptom of dry eyes."

They always say, "But my eyes aren't dry. They're watering!" And I explain: your eyes are so dry that they're overproducing tears. We call it epiphora. That's why you're constantly wiping your eyes. You need drops to help slow that overproduction. Once they get in the chair and recognize what we can do - and it's more than just testing for 20/20 vision - they understand. An eye exam is about the health of the eyes and so many other things.

Bob Laura: So dry eye is actually wet eye. Wrong name! That's interesting. I had a client share with me the other day that in winter, when it's dark at four o'clock, they just stopped going out. They're not doing night driving anymore. Why do we struggle with night driving, especially as we get older?

Dr. Rashid: In an eye exam, we test vision in a dim setting because it's usually the worst-case scenario. When someone says, "Oh, I see fine when I'm driving. I know the streets," I tell them, "Imagine it's night, it's raining, you're in an unfamiliar area. Now it's scary." We test in dim settings because it allows what we call aberrations, causes of blurriness from headlights, and other factors.

Nighttime vision can get worse. Again, dry eyes create tougher nighttime vision. Our eyes are drier toward the end of the day. And depending on age and how early cataracts are forming, nighttime glare and halos are top symptoms.

Bob Laura: When do you typically see cataracts?

Dr. Rashid: The typical age is in their 70s, but I believe cataracts are forming earlier now than when I started 25 years ago. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, or maybe the age just seems closer. But yes, the average is mid-60s to 70s. The good news is that cataract surgery has become incredibly easy. We insert custom-made lenses that actually fix your vision. We don't have to wait for them to get super bad anymore. The youngest I've had cataract surgery on is probably mid-50s, and that was usually medication related.

Bob Laura: If I have a 60 or 65-year-old client who says, "I'm not doing night driving anymore" or "I can't read menus," what would you tell them? How would you help them gain some of that independence back?

Dr. Rashid: Sometimes it's extreme and requires surgery. Cataracts have reached a point where they need to be removed. Sometimes it's as simple as treating severe dry eyes, and we use drops. But there's also more. Devices in our office like IPL create less dryness and clear the surface so much that distance and night vision improve dramatically.

With glasses, anti-reflective coating plays a huge role in reducing glare at night. There's also the possibility that your prescription has just shifted. So, it can be as simple as a new prescription with anti-reflective coating, and you're good to go for another year. Or as extreme as surgery. There's a whole range.

Bob Laura: Let's talk about prevention. Growing up, we were always told to eat carrots. What can people who are 50, 60, or 70 actually do to improve their eye health?

Dr. Rashid: There is truth to the carrot advice! Carrots have beta-carotene and vitamin A. But the good news for people who don't like carrots is there's so much research showing other healthy foods: leafy green vegetables, bright-colored peppers in green, red, and yellow, fish, salmon, and fish oils. People say, "I don't want to have a huge salad every day." Fine. There are vitamins and supplements. Omega-3s especially help.

At our age, it's not like we've waited too long. We can hold onto the eye health we have. For conditions like macular degeneration, vitamin therapy helps prolong the vision you have. And omega-3s and fish oils are particularly important for dry eyes.

Bob Laura: Are you seeing things in eye exams beyond just vision? Can you tell if someone's diabetic or at risk of a stroke?

Dr. Rashid: Your eyes are the window to the soul, literally. When we look into the back of your eyes at the retina, we can see so much more than just vision. We've been able to help monitor diabetes and blood pressure for years. Now, with advanced technology and AI, we're seeing early signs of glaucoma. And research is even pointing to early Alzheimer's and Parkinson's detection through the retina.

If someone has a family history of these conditions, an eye exam can show whether they're developing early symptoms. An annual eye exam is becoming more important now than ever because we're learning so much more and connecting those systemic markers to overall health.

Bob Laura: So, as we're thinking about retirement, an eye doctor should be part of your health team in retirement, just like your primary doctor, audiologist, etc.? It's the combination, the team, that lets you do your best job taking care of yourself.

Dr. Rashid: Absolutely. Once people recognize that an eye exam is more than just reading 20/20, everything changes. There are systemic markers in your eyes that tell us about your overall health. An annual exam isn't just about glasses anymore. It's preventive health care. And with what we're discovering about early disease detection through the eyes, annual exams are more important now than they've ever been.

Bob Laura: I know a lot of retirees are confused about Medicare. What's been your experience with people transitioning to retirement learning this the hard way?

Dr. Rashid: A very high percentage of people new to Medicare are confused about what it covers. They're not aware of their annual deductible, which isn't so bad. But if they come in at the beginning of the year, they're still paying for their exam just to reach that deductible. Here's the real shock: Some Medicare plans don't cover anything in eyewear. Nothing. After cataract surgery, you get one pair of basic, single vision glasses, but that's it.

Vision care costs are also rising at 5 to 7 percent annually, maybe more than general inflation. Contact lenses, frames, coatings, everything's going up.

Bob Laura: So, eyewear gets more expensive every year while your coverage stays the same.

Dr. Rashid: Exactly. That's why having vision insurance becomes increasingly important. Your costs stay predictable while eyewear expenses keep climbing. I recently helped someone on Medicare who didn't have vision insurance. He was shocked by the out-of-pocket costs. I had time, so I sat with him in my office. We went to my website, found the VSP Individual Vision Plan, filled out his information right there, and it became active immediately. He needed glasses that day.

He saved more from getting that insurance plan than he would have paid out of pocket for everything. He's now a lifelong patient with VSP coverage. Everyone should have that experience.

Bob Laura: And I imagine having insurance also keeps people coming in regularly for their exams?

Dr. Rashid: Absolutely. The insurance reminds them they have the benefit. We call them every year, and they remember, "Oh, my benefits are ready." Having that reminder and affordable access means people actually come in for their annual exams instead of skipping them.

What I love about VSP Individual Vision Plans is the simplicity. Patients can click on a link, sign up, and activate it. Patients do this all the time and love it. Yes, I'm making less money by doing this, but we're creating a forever patient. And that's worth it.

Bob Laura: That's why, as people are thinking about retirement, an eye doctor really needs to be part of your health team. The more you know, the better job you can do taking care of yourself.

Dr. Rashid: Exactly. Once patients recognize that there are so many systemic markers we can see in the eyes that help with overall health, everything shifts. An annual eye exam is truly preventive health care now. More important than it's ever been.

Bob Laura: Thank you, Dr. Nick. This conversation really underscores why vision care shouldn't be an afterthought in retirement planning. Your eyes are telling the story of your overall health, and having someone like you on your team means you're not just seeing better, but you're also living better.