Final answer:
Olivia's mom likely needs glasses due to presbyopia, a vision condition that affects the ability to focus on close objects and is typical in middle-aged and older adults, often necessitating reading glasses.
Step-by-step explanation:
A likely explanation for Olivia's mom needing glasses for the first time is presbyopia. Presbyopia is a common vision problem associated with aging, where the eye gradually loses its ability to focus on close objects. This is not due to the retina or cornea changing, but rather the lens becoming less elastic and the muscles controlling the lens losing strength. The use of a converging lens in glasses adds power for close vision, which is why reading glasses are often needed for those above the age of 40 to 50 experiencing presbyopia.