My grandma's current status with Alzheimer's.

Medications she is taking could affect her bowel movements. it is common for them to have difficulty swallowing foods or liquids but a speech therapist can do a swallow test to determine if thickened liquids are necessary. I think its common for them to sleep during the day and be up at night. I was told to try to keep him awake for a few hours during the day to see if that would help but then he'd fall asleep in his chair, at the table or wherever he was.

they lose the ability to swallow liquids so the liquids need to be 'thickened' ... yes, they lose the night / day thing too... mom confused night and daytime all the time..
Look for the book "The 36 hour day" it is a great help

MissusB, there is a saying that "if you know one person with dementia, you know one person with dementia." In other words, there isn't really a set of classic symptoms that applies to everyone with Alzheimer's Disease - AD patients vary just as much as any other people.

How long have you been looking after your grandmother? Perhaps the best thing would be to talk to everyone else who has been involved in her care, and try to get a clear picture of what is normal *for her.* Then it will be easier to notice any changes and report anything that is worrying you to her medical and nursing teams.