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Vickie Patterson Moseley with some of the residents at The Garden of Clanton during a fun-filled activity.

Vickie Patterson Moseley and her mother, Elvie Patterson, dressed up for a Halloween party at The Gardens of Clanton.

Vickie Patterson Moseley with the Chilton County Peach Queens and WBRC’s Russell Jones.

Vickie Patterson Moseley with her staff at The Gardens of Clanton after being named a Business of the Month by The Chilton County Chamber of Commerce.

Vickie Patterson Moseley speaking at a Chilton County Chamber of Commerce event in 2010.

The Gardens of Clanton residents Dot Pinson left, and Marie Gardner with Vickie Patterson Moseley during a fire safety day.

Vickie Patterson Moseley, left, with residents prior to a gala event.

Vickie Patterson Moseley with her grandchildren.

Former Chilton County Circuit Clerk Glenn McGriff, left, Vickie Patterson Moseley, Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon and Bethsalem Baptist Church Pastor Jeremy Jones during an event at The Gardens of Clanton.

Vickie Patterson Moseley will mark her 20th year at The Gardens of Clanton in March.

Vickie Patterson Moseley with her granddaughter Evie, named after her mother Elvie Patterson.

Story by Carey Reeder

Photos contributed by Vickie Patterson Moseley

Those who answer the call to serve and care for the older generation in the last stages of their lives take on a task that is filled with too much sorrow than most can stand. Eating with, fellowship, daily activities, and most importantly ensuring their last years on earth are spent with a smile on their face, are all part of Vickie Patterson Moseley’s daily tasks over the last two decades. The Administrator for The Gardens of Clanton is right where she should be after watching her mother, Elvie Patterson, work in the same industry for years, honing her craft and modeling it after her mothers.

Moseley’s love to care for the older generation began while growing up in Verbena. Born and raised there, Moseley lived in her great great grandfather’s home throughout her childhood and stayed close to her roots raising her children at the home as well. She attended Verbena High School and was heavily involved with activities at the school like cheerleading, running track and participating in clubs. She also entered many of the beauty pageants that were held in Chilton County.

However, through all of the extracurricular activities she was involved with, Moseley found herself most fixated on seeing her mother’s work with the elderly. Her love for them grew, spending time with older members of her church, routinely staying with them to keep them company.

“Even growing up and as a small child I always loved babies and the elderly, and I have always loved them,” Moseley said. “My passion grew seeing my mom and the way she worked with them.”

Patterson worked at Hatley Health Care for over 20 years working with the older generation. Moseley worked some with her mom at Hatley when she was younger, but she worked in other industries before 2005 using her love for caring for the older generation as a side hobby or in volunteerism. Then, The Gardens of Clanton’s Administrator position opened. The Gardens of Clanton is an assisted living community owned and managed by Alabama-based Cavalier Senior Living.

The Gardens first contacted Patterson to see if she was interested in interviewing for the position, but she passed on it. However, she did recommend Moseley, who was looking for her break in the industry she felt like she belonged in. The Gardens interviewed Moseley, and she got a second interview the following day. Following the second interview, she was hired, and has been in the position since March 2005.

How did Moseley make it 20 years? Lessons learned from her mother to keep residents happy, safe and active.

“I follow the same lead as her here (at The Gardens) and do the same thing here in my community,” Moseley said. “Not only am I the administrator, but I help with their hair, bathing and I like to be interactive with my residents being on the floor with them.”

Over her two decades at The Gardens in Clanton, Moseley has served, held leadership positions and helped earn the facility many awards. Moseley served on the Board of Directors, the Education Committee and was the Regional 4 Director for the Alabama Board of Directors of Assisted Living Administrators from 2011-2013. She was also the Operational Assistant to the new facilities and employees in the Assisted Living Community from 2006-2019. In that role, Moseley would go to different assisted-living facilities in Alabama and help train new administrators and staff.

At a local level, she has been involved in many organizations over the years including a member of the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce since 2005, serving on the Chilton County Leadership Committee and more. She is currently a board member for CareNet of Chilton County and volunteers with the local Senior Connection program. Her outreach for the older generation even stretches to her church life at Bethsalem Baptist Church where she serves as the Coordinator for Seniors at Home.

As for awards, The Garden of Clanton was named a top 10 assisted-living community in Alabama out of 325 communities in 2013 by the Alabama board. The Gardens climbed to the top seven in 2014 and 2015, and then the top five in 2017-2020. The facility has earned many Best of the Best awards from The Clanton Advertiser, SeniorAdvisor.com and A Place For Mom in the assisted-living categories, and has been named a Community Engagement Award winner with SeniorAdvisor.com each year since 2019.

Moseley’s commitment to being involved in every capacity of The Gardens community is a testament to the awards over the years. From the fun activities she plans, to helping with cleaning and bathing residents, their rooms and their areas, she does it all. Moseley believes that shows her staff that she is on the same level as them when it comes to caring for the residents, and hopes that goes a long way for team morale and her relationship with them.

“I think it is important as a role model that I do that to show my staff that I am not better than them, and I think they respect me more if I get out there and do the same thing as them,” Moseley said. “I teach that you put the residents first, always. We teach to take care of them, love them and have the utmost respect for them all the time.”

Moseley believes it is important to have a facility like The Gardens in the area for the older generation, and she takes it as an honor to take care of the older generation in the area she grew up. She believes it is important to educate families on what assisted living is, what they do and how they care for the elderly in the community to make their quality of life so much better.

Moseley uses her own testimony about assisted living for the older generation. Her mother was the biggest influence on her life and the reason she got into the industry. The two got to work together when Patterson was Moseley’s Activities Director at The Gardens for many years, allowing them to be together nearly every day. Eventually, Patterson became a resident at The Gardens, and Moseley was able to care for her like the countless other residents she has. It was a goal for Moseley to be able to care for her mom one day like she did for many residents over the years, and she got that opportunity, ensuring her mom lived her last days to the fullest.

“My mom and I were always very close growing up,” Moseley said. “It meant the world to me to be able to share that with my mom … I am so proud, and God blessed me to have my mother be a part of (my career) so closely.”

Moseley, now almost 20 years into it, still does not feel like she has to go to work every day, but gets to go in every day to see the residents she loves dearly. Outside of her work, Moseley spends much of her time with family and her three children — Dexter Mims, Dylan Moseley and Jillian Hope Wilson, and her seven grandchildren — Aleena, Bentley, Cooper, Dexter, Everett, Evie and Harold. Through it all, her residents always remain in her heart.

“You have to love what you do to be in this industry, and to be able to do that, it just brings joy to me all the time to do that,” Moseley said. “They say ‘I brighten their day.’ Honestly, they brighten up my day when I go in there and they are just so much fun. They are just a delight to be around … I feel so blessed to be in this environment and carry on how my mother and father brought me up — To show unconditional love to everybody, but especially the elderly.”

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