The business office manager at AVIR at Lancaster was suspended September 22 and terminated October 10 after corporate investigators found she repeatedly dispensed cash from resident accounts without having a second person observe and sign off on the transactions.
The investigation began when corporate auditors discovered the manager was not following proper procedures for distributing resident funds. According to the regional business office manager, some transactions had witness signatures while others showed only the business office manager's signature.
Resident #5 became the focus of the investigation after corporate staff reviewed several resident records. When questioned about her transactions, the resident reported she never received more than $50 at a time. Corporate investigators were unsure whether the resident was being truthful or had memory issues related to cognitive problems.
Rather than risk appearing to hide potential problems, the corporation decided to reimburse the resident for every transaction over $50. The total reimbursement came to $310, even though the resident provided a receipt for a clothing purchase of almost $200 during the same time period. Corporate still covered an additional $150.
The facility's administrator explained that the business office manager had worked her last day on September 22, 2025, when she was suspended. The manager was scheduled to attend a meeting on October 8 but never appeared. Termination papers were signed two days later.
A corporate training session for all business office managers had been held at the end of August 2025, and the Lancaster facility's manager attended. The new policies were supposed to take effect September 1, but inspectors found no evidence that training materials were provided to document the session.
The regional business office manager stated that corporate investigators found no actual missing money during their reconciliation of resident trust funds. The violation centered on procedural failures rather than theft. Police were notified of the investigation as a precautionary measure.
Under proper procedures, when a business office manager dispenses cash from resident accounts, a second person must observe the transaction. Both the manager and the witness must sign the petty cash log before the money is passed to the resident, who then signs to acknowledge receipt.
The terminated business office manager had told investigators that she followed part of the procedure by filling out and signing the log, then passing it to the person receiving cash for their signature. However, she admitted no witness observed the transactions and no second signature was obtained during the dispensing process.
When corporate conducted their audit, they requested a Resident Trust Fund Petty Cash Log report that the business office manager was unaware she needed to submit. The discovery prompted the full investigation into her handling of resident funds.
Federal inspectors attempted to interview the facility's business office manager by telephone on September 30 at 3:01 pm and 3:45 pm but were unsuccessful. A message was left requesting a callback, but no response was received before inspectors completed their review.
The corporate business office manager confirmed during a September 30 interview that the investigation was ongoing and referred inspectors to the regional manager for additional details about the violations.
The regional business office manager emphasized that while corporate investigators believed the terminated employee did not steal money, the failure to follow proper disbursement procedures created accountability problems. The corporation's decision to reimburse Resident #5 reflected their commitment to transparency, even when the exact amounts remained unclear due to the resident's cognitive issues.
The administrator noted that the business office manager's failure to return to work after suspension and her absence from the scheduled October meeting contributed to the decision to terminate her employment. The facility has since implemented new oversight procedures for resident trust fund management.
The violation was classified as causing minimal harm or potential for actual harm, affecting few residents. However, the procedural failures highlighted the importance of proper witness requirements and documentation when handling vulnerable residents' personal funds.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Avir At Lancaster from 2025-11-24 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.