Totally unprofessional

[pinkpeoniesmakemesmile]

A family member is in hospital and has told me tonight a Health Care Assistant is now a friend of hers and has even added her on social media (HCA did).
My family member is vulnerable due to having learning difficulties and has the mental age of a 12 yr old (she's 31).
AIBU to think the HCA is acting in an unprofessional manner?

I don't understand. Why shouldn't a HCA make friends with your family member?

Unprofessional, but check the facts first. If this has happened report to the ward.

You are not being unreasonable and this this is crossing professional boundaries.
I personally would report my concerns to the Ward Manager.

Thank you for commenting

You need to speak to the ward manager

That's very unprofessional. We certainly wouldn't be allowed to do that where I work.

This is not allowed at all. Speak to the ward manager.

Hospital staff aren't supposed to 'make friends' with their patients. It's crossing a professional boundary, it can create conflicts of interest and there's a risk that vulnerable patients can potentially be taken advantage of in various ways.

In particular, the OP's relative has a mental age of 12, so they are particularly vulnerable. An HCA should absolutely know that they shouldn't be friending patients on social media.

That is totally unprofessional. Take screen shots if you can and contact PALS

Yes as a previous poster has said, check your facts, but this is something that definitely isn't allowed where I work.

Perhaps your family member asked to be added and the HCA did so in order not to hurt her feelings.

This would still be unprofessional, the HCA should know that.

Extremely unprofessional. Report to ward manager. I would want to make an official complaint - this is a safeguarding adults issue and very worrying. Don't be brushed off - if you are speak to PALS.

100% unprofessional. If she was asked, she should've gently declined explaining that she wasn't allowed. Even after someone is discharged the practice is the same.

Complete breach of professional boundaries.

You must inform the ward manager and you can raise it with the council as a safeguarding concern if it’s not properly addressed.

This is how grooming and exploitation begin.

I'm in the safeguarding world and this is not appropriate and almost definitely against social media policy (not to mention code of conduct within any setting that has one ). Report it.
For some of the other posters. Please don't try to turn this into an issue with being a hca. Any decent HCA understands why this is inappropriate and if they don't they shouldn't be doing the job. I have multitudes of horror stories where it starts like this (no indication that this is one of course) but this is not an innocent act, its not making friends, and even if the person asks the HCA should absolutely not do it.

The embedded power imbalance in these roles makes this unacceptable. There are professional boundaries for a very good reason. If they are broken it is not because someone is being "nice" at the very least they are being arrogant to believe the rules don't apply to them. At best it was misguided and inappropriate, at worst its a glaring red flag.

That's totally inappropriate and unprofessional. You should report it.

Are you sure it’s true, firstly?

If so, then you need to speak to the ward manager as we aren’t allowed to do this. It crosses professional boundaries.