This is not hopeless.
You've lost a lot of leaves at some point. The stem will not fill back in with new leaves. It may get a new sprout or two, but it will always look sparse and droopy like it does now no matter how well you care for it.
I think I would focus on starting new little plants. You can do this by taking a few of the mature leaves and laying them on the soil. After awhile, each leaf should sprout roots and a new little plant. I'm attaching a photo of a plant of mine that is in a similar state. You can see the leaves that fell off, which I laid on the soil. You can see the little plants that are now sprouting from the bases of the fallen leaves. These little plants are about 2 months old now. 
You don't have a ton of leaves to work with, so I'd take a limited number - maybe the 3 oldest leaves - and place them in the soil.
I'll also mention that with the pot setup you have, it looks possible that the plant will be stuck in standing water for awhile as the layered pots drain. When you're watering only once a month, it is probably OK, but you might consider repotting the plant in the outer pot alone. If you do this, I would use a quick draining succulent/cactus soil.