Is OCD a symptom of Alzheimer's?

No. O C D is a completely separate mental condition.

If your mother had a true obsessive compulsive disorder she would not be able to stop filing her nails. Repetitive behaviors with people with dementia is more of a "I need to get this right, this time" perhaps than a separate illness. Be glad she is taking interest in her nails, go do your own nails, and then compare! You will need your energies for far more important matters later on. Best wishes.

Clearly you are troubled by this and that's understandable now that your mother's behavior causes her harm. No matter what term is used to describe her actions, it's time for the doctor to do more than brush it off as aging. Does she seem happy? If not, press her doctor for medication which might help. This may take experimentation and patience. Blessings to you in handling this latest phase in the process.

Ladee, thanks for the response. I did it out of love, but our lives were so close after 56 years of marriage. I am sure that in reality, it is harder on me than her. It is hard not to feel that she feels punished rather than loved. She is probably the youngest resident at 73 years of age and the most coherent. She has all the major handicaps of Alzheimer's, yet she is very conversant in a conversation.
I will try to give feed back from time to time.

Not necessarily.

Definitely. My mom used to empty her pocketbook all day. Empty it refill it empty it again....