Lost cause?

In my line of work I see cases where people just don't seem to be "trying" to better there life. They continue to make choices that leads them down a bad road in life. They have opportunities to change their life and yet they dont. Why is that? Just because they don't change are they really a lost cause?
     I would have to say no they are not. Yes you do get to that point where you as an individual just accept them where they are at and just leave it in their ball court weather they want to change or not. Yeah that might include backing off a little bit but to lose hope in them is something you should never do. If they were a lost cause they wouldn't have been placed on this earth.