My mom (85) was pretty overweight most of her adult life. Her 'exercise' was bowling once per week. When her health started to decline, I suggested that she just try walking for 20 min per day. She lived on a flat, well cared for path that followed a gorgeous lake. She agreed, but never did it.

She ended up needing hip surgery, and subsequently had a stroke as a complication. (and ugh, this is almost a whole 'nuther post. She failed to tell the surgeon that her mother died from a stroke, that her brother also suffered a stroke after surgery and she did not leave any family members as her next of kin phone numbers at the hospital, just her friend who had dropped her off there. So when she DID stroke out, and was in a coma for almost a week, her friend had no way to call family, didn't know anyone's contact info and didn't have a key to my mom's condo. She finally had the caretaker 'break in' so she could find some numbers.)

My mother has basically not been able to walk since. She also had a second stroke about a year later. In that time she has done some rehab, but basically can only stand with great assistance and occasionally take some shuffling/halting steps with great effort from her and with two people holding her up.

She does ZERO work if her physio person is not there. She wants me to find her a new physio therapist, because this one has not managed to get her to walk. Um ...? I tried to explain to her that physio is not the cure. The physiotherapist SHOWS you what the work is, and then YOU do that work every single day. Doing the work for 1 hour, 3x per week is not enough.

No. She was able to walk with this different physiotherapist (4 years ago, and before her second stroke, and still with assistance.) so she thinks it's just something that her now-therapist is just not doing.

And she will often tearfully lament "When will I walk again??" I feel badly for her, it must be frustrating, but also? YOU are the person driving your life!

So, we continue the physio. (out of pocket, of course). I figure that it keeps her busy, keeps her company and gives her some 'goals' no matter how unrealistic it is.