Why is Mom hearing hymns on an non-existent radio?

momsjanet, she may have developed musical ear syndrome. It is fairly common in people with hearing loss. It is a physical thing and not psychological, so she isn't going crazy. I get music in my ears sometimes, even though my hearing is okay. I know it is just a nerve transmission to brain thing, so I don't worry. It can be irritating.

Now what really does irritate me are the ear worms -- the lines of songs that get stuck in your mind and play all day. Those are supposed to indicate stress and will drive a person crazy. They aren't actually heard. They just play for hours in the mind.

If she has a hearing aid, could she be picking up some sort of crosstalk? If there is no hearing aid, report this change to her MD, she may be experiencing vascular dementia, very common in congestive heart failure patients.