What are my options? Eyeglasses. 

If you choose eyeglasses as the solution you may consider reading glasses in full frame or half-eyes. This may be an option for you if your distance vision is clear without correction. With the half-eyes, you are able to look over them and see distance without taking them off. The full frame lenses will tend to blur your distance vision, making it necessary to removed them when you look away from your reading.

The traditional answer which allows distance and near vision has been bifocals.In the early stages of presbyopia, bifocals can be effective. But as the condition progresses you will begin to have problems with intermediate (arm's length) vision too. At this stage the distance portion of your glasses will not allow you to focus clearly as you bring reading material closer to your eyes. Objects and reading material at intermediate distances will be blurred through the bifocal too.

In order to be able to see this intermediate distance you might consider a trifocal.Think of the trifocal as a bifocal with another narrow bifocal above the first one. This second bifocal has a weaker power to allow clear focus at the intermediate distance.

So who is responsible for bifocal technology? And, how long have bifocals been around?

Is there a better solution? 

Progressive addition lenses give you more natural vision, a full range of focus from near to intermediate to distance without lines. Your vision "progresses" through the power ranges of the lens as you change from distance to intermediate to near and back to distance. No lines. No jump of images. To others, they look like single vision lenses. To you, they imitate your natural eye action better than bifocals or trifocals.

Single vision contact lenses have been used for years to correct presbyopia. This is accomplished by wearing reading glasses over the contacts or by using monovision. Monovision uses the dominant eye for distance and the non dominant eye for reading. Your brain learns to choose the eye that provides the best vision. Monovision has the advantage of giving you distance and near vision without using glasses. The disadvantage is that distance vision can be a problem with driving. Because the reading eye is blurred at distance, driving skills may be impaired. You may need to wear glasses over the contacts for driving.

Bifocal Contact Lensesmay be a better option for you. Modern technology has produced a variety of bifocal contact lenses. Some, as depicted here, have a distinct distance and reading area. Other lens designs use a "simultaneous vision" technique similar to monovision. Bifocal contact lenses are available in soft and Rigid Gas Perm lenses. Because bifocals are more difficult to fit than single vision lenses, they are not offered by all doctors.