You say that your mom received Social Security and a pension which is mostly going to the nursing home. Are any taxes being withheld from any of that income? If no tax is being withheld from your mom's income, then entering medical expenses is not going to make a difference. She cannot get a tax refund if she paid no tax to begin with.
And.....in order for you to claim the expense---you would have to claim her as a dependent on your own tax return. Her Social Security does not count, but if the pension is over $4300 per year, you cannot claim her as a dependent. If you cannot claim her, then you cannot use her medical expenses as a deduction on your own tax return. There are instances where you can claim someone as a "medical dependent" even if their income exceeds the limit------but only if you are paying for over half her support. Since the costs of a nursing home are very high----can you say you are paying for over half her support?
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
