It sounds silly, but I think you can be quite challenging to people, without coming across as rude so long as you are really careful with your language. Even just adding something like "I'm thinking of you", or "I hope things improve soon" or being less blunt such as "Perhaps you should do x" instead of "You must do x if you want to get better". It's something I struggle with, finding the appropriate words and language to convey the message in the right tone, but I think it's worth it. After all if someone thinks you are rude or being mean they are probably less likely to take your advice than if it can be presented in a more palatable fashion.
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