There is a great variety of hibiscus plants, and you didn't say what it is you got. And any good advice that someone could give you would vary depending on what plant you bought and where your mom lives. It's difficult to advise you without knowing that... but hibiscus are either 'tropical' (won't survie above zone 9 or 10 without protection) or 'hardy' (which might be a perrenial in your zone) when i say hardy I refer not only to the hibiscus moscheutos, but to any species which survies winters in temperate zones. syriacus... mutabilis..coccineus.. etc.

Try to find out exactly what it is you bought or describe it to one of the smarter people on this forum and they might be able to tell you what it was.