As a paramedic, have dealt with the same thing, patients with obvious severe infections (TMI for people with sensitive stomachs - the worst being an older lady who spent her days in a recliner, and had 'bed' sores on her legs as a result, couldn't get up because of the pain, so had defecated herself, which had melted due to body heat and run down her legs into the bed sores) but was still resistant to going to hospital. Irony was, she was a founding part of our fire department many many years ago. "Ma'am, if you don't come with us, the next time we'll be here is quite possibly because you'll die right in this recliner".

She didn't come with us that night, so we cleaned her up, as best we could, and came back the next morning after having done some outreach (our department had a pastor who knew her and was also a PA and responder), and were able to convince her to go.

I'll never forget that smell.

You can do things like putting icy-hot or ben gay ointment on your upper lip. Unpleasant sensation and smell, and doesn't fully work, but ... it helps.