Managing these is often the most difficult part of caregiving. Medications can help, but they often come with sedating side effects.

However, for individuals with mid-to-late stage dementia, the brain’s logic centers are failing. But the emotional and instinctual centers—the parts that remember how to love and nurture—are often the last to go.

If you work in dementia care, or care for a loved one at home, you’ve likely seen it: the sundowning anxiety, the pacing, the sudden outbursts of aggression, or the heartbreaking cry of "I want to go home."

According to recent findings,