Senior Vision

Senior Vision

Enjoy Clear & Healthy Vision For a Lifetime

(202) 659-6555

Compassionate Care and Expertise You Can Trust

  • Struggle to read the messages on your smartphone?
  • Do images appear less vibrant than they used to?

Growing old is a privilege.

But when it comes to eye health, aging can bring on several ocular conditions and diseases like glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy.

Vision impairment decreases one's ability to perform activities of daily living and increases the risk for depression.

senior woman wearing a hat and eyeglasses

The eye doctors at Metropolitan Optical – Pennsylvania Ave. can help keep your vision clear and comfortable with regular eye exams, early detection and personalized care.


Preserve Your Eyesight With Metropolitan Optical – Pennsylvania Ave.

senior couple wearing glasses with a tablet

Whether you need reading glasses, bifocals, post-cataract surgery care, or eye disease co-management, we've got you covered! 

At Metropolitan Optical – Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, we believe that prevention is the best medicine. That’s why annual eye exams are so important for seniors. Detecting eye conditions early on can help prevent or delay vision loss, keeping your vision clearer for longer. Some serious eye conditions don’t present noticeable symptoms until vision loss has occurred. Fortunately, these can be detected in their early stages by your eye care professional during your eye exam. 

If an eye disease is diagnosed, we’ll create a custom treatment plan and monitor your condition closely to ensure the best outcome. 

Contact Metropolitan Optical – Pennsylvania Ave. today to schedule your eye exam!


Senior Vision FAQs

Can presbyopia be corrected?

Presbyopia, age-related farsightedness, affects your eyes’ ability to focus on near objects. You may become aware of presbyopia once you begin holding books and newspapers at arm’s length to be able to read them. This condition is a natural part of the aging process and affects virtually all adults in their 40s. Our eye doctors will diagnose and help correct your presbyopia so you can see clearly again. They'll provide you with corrective glasses and/or contact lenses, such as monovision and multifcoals.

What are the most common vision problems in the elderly?

The most common causes of vision loss among the elderly are age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. 

  • Age-related macular degeneration is characterized by the loss of central vision. 
  • Glaucoma results in visual field loss.
  • Cataracts cause blurred vision and faded colors among the elderly.
  • Diabetic retinopathy is characterized by blurred vision and floaters, among other symptoms. 
  • Other conditions include dry or watery eyes and floaters. 

Because many of these conditions may initially be asymptomatic, it's critical that elderly patients undergo routine eye exams. The earlier these conditions are detected, the better the treatment outcome. 

Can macular degeneration be prevented?

Although there’s no sure-fire method for preventing eye disease, certain lifestyle habits can put the odds in your favor. To help ensure healthy vision for a lifetime, wear high-quality sunglasses whenever outdoors, quit smoking if you do, eat eye-healthy foods, and ask your optometrist about taking AREDS supplements. Most importantly, regular visits with your eye doctor are crucial to keeping your vision sharp throughout your golden years.


Meet our Senior Vision Specialists

Patient Reviews
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172 Reviews
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- Mar. 28, 2025
I've been coming to Metropolitan Optical for many, many years and always received excellent service ... and advice. Dr. Ayalu is terrific!
- Mar. 24, 2025
Metropolitan Optical has been handling my eye care needs for almost 20 years. The best eye specialis... ts in the Washington, DC , Maryland and Virginia area. Please make appointment and you will understand why. Very prompt, courteous and knowledgeable staff.
- Mar. 08, 2025
Highly recommend Metropolitan Optical for anyone looking for an eye-doctor or new frames! It is evid... ent how Dr. Ayalew cares for her patients -- always making sure to squeeze us in because she prioritizes our health. She takes time to explain what's going on and makes sure to develop a care plan that is realistic. The rest of the team are just awesome -- from spending time to make sure that your frames fit and look perfect to making sure that you are scheduled for your next appoint
- Feb. 27, 2025
Have been coming here for over 3 years and it’s great! Wonderful and knowledgeable staff.
- Jan. 14, 2025
Dr Salsa Ayalew is great. She is very patient and clearly communicates what is going on during the ... exam and the appropriate next steps. Dee is also great with helping to select great frames and is responsive to style and pricing concerns.
- Jan. 03, 2025
High professionalism and courtesy.
- Oct. 20, 2024
Excellent care from Dr Saba and excellent customer service
- Oct. 18, 2024
Great place for my eye care! Very satisfied.
- Sep. 14, 2024
Top Tier service is always received at every level when I visit Metropolitan Optical!
- Sep. 13, 2024
Doctor and every staff are very friendly and good customers service, also they explain every step un... til you get discharge. Excellent
- Sep. 13, 2024
Dr. Ayalew and every staff member give the highest quality customer service.
- Aug. 30, 2024
Great professional optical services. I’ve purchased prescription glasses twice with Metropolitan ... in last year. Customer service is excellent. High quality and reasonably priced frames. Paul at the Penn Ave shop most recently helped me with selecting non-slip prescription glasses for working out. Very happy with them and the Lunor glasses purchased in 2023.
- Nov. 07, 2023
Dr. Ayalew is an exceptional eye doctor who goes above and beyond for her patients. I recently had a... n eye emergency on a Sunday night and emailed her, she replied st 5 am instructing me to come in first thing in the morning. I know she squeezed me in because I was unable to schedule the appointment online. Upon arriving I was literally greeted at the door and taken straight to the exam room. (I’m sure this isn’t always the case so I don’t want to build any unrealistic expectations, same goes for emailing on a Sunday night, but this was my experience today so I’m just sharing factual events) Dr. Ayalew thoroughly examined my eyes, patiently explaining the condition and answering all my questions. Her expertise and genuine concern for my well-being are always evident at my appointments. My insurance switched a few years ago and metropolitan optical doesn’t take my new insurance but Dr Ayalew is so good I go to her anyway and pay out of pocket, money speaks louder than words — this is greatest endorsement I could give any doctor. Over the past 25 years living in DC, I've consulted with several optometrists. Without a doubt, Dr. Ayalew stands out as the best in my opinion. Her combination of expertise, compassion, and patient-centric approach is unmatched. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking exceptional eye care
- Sep. 26, 2023
Love this place! Everyone is professional and has their masks on. They are able to repair my glasses... within 10 minutes. Will recommend this place to anyone in DC area.
- Sep. 23, 2023
I simply do not understand the negative comments about the staff. I will chalk it up to a bad day. H... ave been seeing Dr. Ayalew for nearly two decades. She is great and her staff is friendly and efficient.
- Sep. 20, 2023
Dr. Ayalew was great! Personable, professional, knowledgeable and very thorough.
- Sep. 18, 2023
Big fan of Dr. Ayalew. She is highly knowledgeable, takes the time to listen to my questions and con... cerns, and is always warm and friendly. Staff at the practice are also terrific.
- Jun. 26, 2023
I came to the office 15 minutes early and immediately taken care of. The staff was friendly and eff... icient. Once, I met with the doctor, she provided all relevant info and answered my questions. Very satisfied.
- Apr. 28, 2023
As a tourist from another country I stopped in this shop to have my daugther’s glasses fixed (she ... had lost a nose pad). They were super nice and fixed the issue on the spot. Thanks!
- Apr. 24, 2023
Dr. Ayalew and her entire staff are fantastic. I switched to her practice a few years ago when my p... revious doctor retired and have been incredibly happy ever since. She is thorough, thoughtful and very knowledgeable. I have an eye condition that requires regular monitoring and correction and she has helped me understand the challenges, solutions and what to expect as I age. Everyone in the office is knowledgeable, helpful and thorough too. In fact, I raved about how great my first experience was so much that my wife started going to her too. Now she won't go anywhere else either. Top notch!

View All 172 Reviews

Senior Eye Care in Washington

Our optometry practice in Washington

Photograph of Saba  Ayalew
Hours
  • Monday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Tuesday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • Care First
  • Aetna
  • Davis Vision
  • VSP
  • EyeMed

elderly man covering one eye

Don’t Let Age Limit Your Vision!

Preserve your eyesight with Metropolitan Optical – Pennsylvania Ave.

(202) 659-6555