To the OP --
Very rarely does an airline offer compensation of such a large sum. The customer service agent obviously looked at your situation and realized how ridiculous it was. And, no, none of us would have wanted to be in your situation with a 92 year old traveling companion.
Just a recommendation for next time (hoping your mother still wants to travel)...please try to find a nonstop flight from the Washington area to ABQ. And, frankly, I would suggest a different airline in the future. AA's reliability is just terrible right now -- when you are traveling with an elderly person.