רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣רִי

Rabbi Avi Zakutinsky: The Gesher Hachaim (vol. 1 page 30) writes that if one is praying in front of the choleh, then it should be said quickly and quietly. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l is cited as ruling that simply wishing the choleh a speedy recovery “refua shleima” is a fulfillment of this obligation (see Halichus Shlomo Tefila chapter 8 note 63). 

It is worthy to note the ruling of the Aruch Hashulchan (O.C. 119:1), who writes that when praying in front of the sick person one need not mention the name of the choleh.

The Rama (Y.D. 335:10) writes that many have the custom of adding a name to one who is sick; he adds that “changing one’s name tears up the evil decree.” A person’s soul is “hinted” and connected to their name and therefore a change in their name is essentially a change of their being. 

The Gesher Hachaim continues to note that the name be added in front of the choleh’s preexisting name. For example if his name is Moshe and they wish to add the name Rafael. His name for the future will be Rafael Moshe and not Moshe Rafael. 

The prevalent minhag of Klal Yisroel is that when we pray for the sick we use their mother’s name, for example if a choleh’s name is Yaakov and his fathers name is Yitzchak and his mother’s name is Rivka. We pray for the recovery of Yaakov ben Rivka. This custom is based on the Gemara (Shabbos 66b) which cites the ruling of Abaya, namely that when praying for the sick we use the mother’s name.  

Rav Ovadia Yosef shlit”a writes that if one does not know the name of the mother one may recall the father’s name in its stead. The Chazon Ish (Oral ruling cited in Orchos Rabbeinu vol. 1 page 64) adds that one may also mention his surname. 

The Ben Ish Chai writes that the reason why we mention the mothers name is to invoke mercy. 

The Shach explains that the shechina rests with those who are sick and therefore when one is praying in front of the choleh he is doing so directly in front of Hashem, in which case one may pray in any language. Howecer, when praying away from the choleh and away from the shchina, one needs the heavenly angels to escort the tefillos in front of Hashem and the angels are unfamiliar with any language other then Lashon Hakodesh. 

[T]he opinion of the Rosh is that the angels understand all languages other then Aramaic.