A roof quote usually arrives as one page with a total at the bottom. The real decision is in the small lines above it. You will likely be approving it from a phone, so write your questions before the crew calls and before anyone asks you to sign.
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Read the scope line by line
A complete scope names each job separately: removing the old layers, the underlayment, the drip edge, the flashing around chimneys and vents, the ventilation, hauling away the old material, and daily cleanup with a magnetic sweep of the yard. If the quote says only replace roof with no lines beneath it, ask for an itemized version before you go further.
Read the exclusions
Exclusions are the items the contractor will not touch under this price. Common ones include soffit and fascia repair, decking that turns out to be soft once the old roof is off, gutters, and interior ceiling damage. Ask what happens if decking needs replacing: is it a change order, how is it priced, and who has to approve it in writing before the work starts.
Compare two quotes on the same scope
Put two quotes side by side with the same line items. Note where one covers something the other leaves out. Ask each contractor to describe the shingle product in writing, including its type and its rating, instead of only giving a brand name, so the two descriptions can be compared fairly.
Read the warranty line
Separate the manufacturer warranty on the materials from the contractor's warranty on the workmanship. Ask how long each lasts, what is excluded, who makes a claim and how, and whether the workmanship warranty stays with the house if your parent ever sells it. Do not assume either one. Ask to see the warranty document itself, not a summary of it.
Check the signing side
Confirm who is named on the contract, whether payments are tied to completed stages of work rather than a large amount due up front, and what happens if the start date slips. Ask for a copy of the contractor's license and insurance certificate and check both before you sign.
What to do tonight
Ask the contractor to email the full written scope, the exclusions, the warranty documents, and the license and insurance certificate. Save all of it in one place you can find from your phone. If you cannot get any of these in writing, that answer is itself useful.
What to leave with the doctor
If the work will involve a ladder, stairs, or a change to how your parent gets in and out of the house during the job, ask her doctor or therapist whether the timing and the access plan fit her current abilities. The How We Write page explains how we check the claims in pieces like this one.