Prescription
When developing a plan with patients, it can be helpful to actually write down recommendations as a prescription. This gives a clear written record of what you discussed and will serve as an ongoing reminder. The trick is to have the patient set the goals rather than you. At the very least, you should make them together. By using a technique called motivational interviewing, a successful meeting might end with the patient coming to the decision of what specific changes to make. If the patient make the goals, they are far more likely to be met.
The first step is determining realistic goals. Recommending that an overweight elderly person go from virtually no exercise daily to 60 minutes a day is most likely to end up only frustrating you both. Starting with a VERY modest goal of even a few minutes a day, might be reasonable. It is hard for almost anyone to be unable to do five minutes of physical activity daily. This gives you a starting point to titrate up the amount and intensity.
Eliminating barriers is the next step. This can involve trouble shooting with patients to determine where in their typical routine they might be able to fit in additional activity, and how they might go about doing it. It often involves working around each patient’s health conditions to choose a safe plan.
Note: You may want to write down the specifics of what you discuss: when, with whom, and where the proposed activity will occur.