It never is wrong to be frank with your doctors but I guess it depends on what you hope to accomplish. Your profile already mentions dementia among a list of other conditions and you say you have been living with her for over a year, so I imagine everybody is already on the same page when it comes to her having dementia type thoughts and behaviours. If this is a sudden change you might need to check for acute issues like a UTI or other infection/illness. If she is becoming agitated or exit seeking you might need to explore medications for that. If this is just one more sign that the woman you know is slipping away then there probably isn't a solution, you just have to learn to roll with the punches.
(PS - I vividly remember when my mother first declined and she began calling out for her mother, sometimes she even called ME mother... it was definitely heartwrenching)
If you are concerned about the possibility of Dementia of some type then you should mention ANY thing that might be out of the ordinary. Is she walking early, or later, going to bed earlier or later than she used to? Is she "forgetting" things? Is she writing down things that she did not before? If she used to talk on the phone is she avoiding it? Has she cut back contact with friends? (I know that is a difficult one to figure since many are at home and not going to meet like they used to. But if she talked to people on the phone and now does not that is worth mentioning) Anything that she used to do but doesn't do now, or things she does now that she would not have done before. I liken Dementia like one of the pictures that you look at the page and it is just colors and dots but if you look at it long enough you will see a dolphin jumping out of the water. All the signs are there we just don't see it. Not sure if that is because many of these things happen slowly and we get used to it or we don't want to see what is going on. Or is it a bit of both.
My mother on occasion will want to go home when she is already home. I just reorient her to place and time. When she is tired or having any type of discomfort she will call out to her mother. I find when she does this most times she may have a UTI which she then will be tested and treated and then she is back to baseline. I think this is pretty normal behavior with dementia, though. I would mention it to her doctor. I understand from your profile your mom had dementia. Is she taking any medication for it. My mother has been on a good medication to slow the disease for quite a few years now. Hope things get better for both of you.
Are you her POA for health care? If so, the answer is yes. If not you should, while she somewhat understands what she is doing, get signed on as her POA for Health. Then the doctor can discuss your Mom with you. Yes, keep a bit of a diary. But do know that the testing of a neuro-psyc specialist is what you need for diagnosis and prognosis. Good luck.
(PS - I vividly remember when my mother first declined and she began calling out for her mother, sometimes she even called ME mother... it was definitely heartwrenching)
Is she walking early, or later, going to bed earlier or later than she used to?
Is she "forgetting" things? Is she writing down things that she did not before?
If she used to talk on the phone is she avoiding it? Has she cut back contact with friends? (I know that is a difficult one to figure since many are at home and not going to meet like they used to. But if she talked to people on the phone and now does not that is worth mentioning)
Anything that she used to do but doesn't do now, or things she does now that she would not have done before.
I liken Dementia like one of the pictures that you look at the page and it is just colors and dots but if you look at it long enough you will see a dolphin jumping out of the water. All the signs are there we just don't see it. Not sure if that is because many of these things happen slowly and we get used to it or we don't want to see what is going on. Or is it a bit of both.
Sometimes for the elderly ‘home’ means the afterlife and being with loved ones.
Best wishes to you and your family.