iPad 1 doesn't get iOS 6. Its firmware upgrades stopped at 5.1.1, so any app updates that require higher firmware won't work. That's probably why tech support told your friend to ignore future updates -- because she won't be able to update.
If an app is hung up, try restarting or resetting her iPad. Restarting and resetting are two diff things, so if restart doesn't work, try reset:
iPhone, iPad, iPod touch: Turning off and on (restarting) and resetting
If not, your friend might try restoring her old app from backup, if she has made a backup via iTunes on her computer.
No guarantee that these approaches will work. It might just be an app that is not retrievable, like if the developer stopped supporting older versions. It's hard to say, depending on the app, because some app developers are one guy who had free time, and some are big enterprises. I was using an app I liked a lot, for instance, contacted the developer with a request and learned that the app was just something he monkeyed around with for experience, and he'd moved on.