Mom needs an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)!
Whether employed or not, as long as a spouse is earning income, Mom can open an IRA to help provide financial security/financial freedom in later life. Typically one must have earned income to fund an IRA but not if a spouse has earnings.
Typically dad is accumulating credits toward Social Security retirement benefits and may have access to an employer sponsored retirement account through his work but many moms, whether employed or not, are building very little in the way of financial security for later life. Sure they may be eligible for Social Security retirement equal to half of their spouse’s benefit but that’s not much.
So show mom you are financially savvy and get dad to help open and contribute to a Roth IRA for mom.
Lot of info on IRAs on this blog; use the search function for details.
Source: Financial Planning for Women