We live in Canada
Pretty sure this is why your Mom got the PICC without being offered the port. I seem to recall other people living in Canada say that the PICC is standard in Canada. If you want the port, you have to push for it. Not sure the rationale, probably cost - ports are more expensive.
To me, one of the biggest frustrations of healthcare is learning to navigate a complicated world during a time of great stress. No one is at their best when dealing with cancer and then you add on top of it the need to learn a lot of info quickly and it's a recipe for frustration. When my Dad was diagnosed I didn't know my head from my behind. I pretty much listened to what the docs said and followed along. Now we know not to assume anything. It's not because there is a big conspiracy against us or because we don't trust the docs, it's just that medicine is more complicated now than ever and even the very best in their profession can make mistakes. Not just clinical mistakes, but mistakes in judgment and mistakes that come from not knowing the patient well enough to include the patients needs in process of deciding what is the best course of treatment.
I think the best advise a new patient/caregiver can get is "don't be afraid to ask questions." It's natural to assume that if a PICC is offered, a PICC is what is available. But since you aren't a medical professional and you don't necessarily know all the possible alternatives, just ask "what are the alternatives?"
Still, for people who don't have a choice for whatever reason, a PICC is manageable. There's no reason to set people up for anger, frustration, disappointment. We all have preferences, and clearly the port is popular around here, but a PICC is not the end of the world if that is the way it has to be. It's all relative. A PICC is still a lot better than having to get access anew for each treatment.