Find Chinese people who speak English at that location, you can search QQ or boards or such.. you can also look for other foreigners in that region. see if you can find some people willing to become friends and also help her a bit . should help lots.

You should try to make a trip to have her apartment already set up. 

carry her essential meds if any? take some food stuff, its hard the first time to adapt to food or climate of china~~

There are a few things you can so.  If she will be working here, make sure she does have a "Z" work visa.  Also make sure that when she arrives, she will go to local PSB office within 30 days to get her work and residence permits (also that she has her FEC), only then she will be 100 % legal to work here.  

Maybe also try very hard to help her seek a place to live, locate supermarket and open market areas, show her the ropes of buying and bargaining here.  Getting her utilities connected, securing either a home phone or a cell phone, plus Internet connection are also a must.  

Finding for her  either a phrase booklet of translation from English to Chinese of commonly used phrases, or an electronic translator, will sure do wonders for her when alone.  And giving her your cell number so she can get you at difficult times will also be nice.

One thing I do is to take business cards from all places I visit.  If I ever need to go back, I do climb on a taxi, show the card and I am taken there without a problem of communication.  I do have my apartment address written in Chinese characters in a small notebook, also I use that to return home by taxi if needed.

I do believe the most important is to prepare her for the food that will not doubt make for an irritable stomach for the first few weeks and also the difference in climate and air pollution. Bringing some allergy med. from North America helped me in the pollution area, but nothing helped with the first three weeks of running to the bathroom every second of the day. Maybe prepare her also to be able to cook or prepare her own food and gradually insert Chinese food as she goes on.

How many Mums do you have,take time off work and enjoy your time in China together or in later life you will regret it

Make sure you tell her about the *gross* stuff, the spitting, smoking, potty in the streets, etc.

Vital: She has a Z visa before coming. If her company hasn't arranged this, probably they're not licensed to employ foreigners. She must register at the local PSB within 30 days. Make sure she has all your contact information, incl. your address, employer, passport no. for emergency contact. Make sure she has a global roaming SIM card and gets a Chinese SIM after arriving. Make sure she has her employer's full contact details in Chinese + the name and number of whoever is supposed to be meeting her. Print out her hotel address in Chinese so she can get straight to hotel from airport without hassle. Confirm beforehand what longer-term accommodation her employer has arranged. Knowing that your mother is in her 50s and doesn't speak Chinese, is absolutely their responsibility. And make arrangements to meet her for a holiday! Be nice but don't take no from your boss.