Talking to a financial advisor

What do financial advisors do?
How do they charge for services, when you get the initial consult for free (taking records, account statements, tax forms)?
I'm finding it hard to even try to start educating myself.

I am the sibling who lives close and has most involvement with my elderly,(90) independant mother. She owns her home, has retirement and SS, and makes more a month than she typically spends. She has several funds that the bank set up for her about seven years ago. They do not ever call her to ask if she has questions, wants to change etc. She has no clue whether these are 'good' funds or not. She'll get a statement and kind of drop it on me and say I don't know what this means. Extrememly reluctant to call and ask- in fact has never called to ask one question, even tho the guys phone # appears on each statement.
Her close neighbor has used a local financial advisor wtih Edward Jones CO for some years and seems to be in great shape. I talked to the secretary and she sounds very nice. Now mom balks because she figures they just want to sell her something.
But isn't it worth it to pay a few hundred $ for someone who may easily get that back for you with a slightly better interest on 75 K$, or some tax issue? It's painful to think she scrimps all this money only to have taxes take a bite when that could have ben prevented. But we don't even know if that is true without some good advice.
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More I think about it, the more I feeel my own DH and I should be going to one.