Elderly person locked phone and can't remember apple id password

Your mother would do the same thing that younger person who forgot their password would do. She needs to go through the account recovery procedure. Her reasons for needing the phone, while important to her, don't affect the process.

If her email account is not connected an @icloud.com address, you should follow the instructions for password recovery for whatever type of account it is. I'd actually start there.

No one here in this user-to-user forum can do anything about this.

If you forgot your Apple ID password - Apple Support

This Apple article has instructions for what to do if you have forgotten your Apple account password —> If you forgot your Apple ID password - Apple Support

or go directly to this link —> http://iforgot.apple.com/

If you don't receive your verification or reset email, read this Apple Support article: If you didn't receive your verification or reset email - Apple Support

"When you make certain updates to your Apple ID, we’ll send you an email to help you complete the update. For example, you might have reset your password, reset your security questions, or added a new email address to your account."

If you find you can’t sign in, reset your password, or receive verification codes, you can request account recovery (read this support article: How to use account recovery when you can’t reset your Apple ID password - Apple Support ) to regain access to your account. Account recovery might take a few days or longer, depending on the specific account information you can provide to verify your identity. More detail in —> https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255401538?answerId=260044580022#260044580022

If you still need help this page provides country-specific Apple Support contact information for customers seeking help ➞ Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support

This page has telephone numbers for contacting Apple for support and service ➞ Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support