LAPLACE — David Ramos found a passion for helping others in need at an early age. As the oldest of three siblings, he became a caregiver for his younger sister who was diagnosed with a condition restricting her ability to eat and communicate verbally.

Service was a calling that led Ramos to join the U.S. Navy at age 17. While deployed to Iraq, he saved lives as a medic in a combat zone. Upon returning home, he obtained a degree in nursing and landed a career in home health.

Now, Ramos is using his 17-plus years of healthcare experience and 20+ years caring for disabled children and adults to improve the quality of homecare in the River Parishes.

Allegiance Homecare LLC recently opened at 425 W. Airline Highway Suite N in LaPlace. According to Ramos, Allegiance stands apart from other home health services because caregivers are specially trained to meet clients’ needs before stepping into the home.

“We’re focusing on making sure the caregivers are hand picked for each client and that they have the skills necessary,” Ramos said. “My wife and I are both nurses, and we know it’s very frustrating to pay for a service when you’re having to train the person how to do the job. We start the training in the office in a classroom setting. That allows caregivers to make an impact immediately upon arriving to the home.”

Caregivers are required to complete at least 16 hours of training, according to Ramos. They are trained to use hoyer lifts, wheelchairs, feeding tubes and other equipment for clients with special needs.

Allegiance Homecare services include bathing, grooming, dressing, walking, eating, transferring clients with Hoyer lifts and wheelchairs, toileting and bed sore prevention.

Caregivers assist in light meal preparation, housekeeping, shopping for groceries and personal items, scheduling medical appointments and providing medication reminders.

Victor Campos is part of the leadership team at Allegiance Homecare LLC. He and Ramos are cousins, though they consider themselves more like brothers.

Campos was a caregiver for a disabled child who is now a teenager. When his wife’s aunt was unable to find a reliable caregiver for her son, Campos went to a caregiving agency and applied to personally take care of the child.

The cousins have also cared for the older members of their family.

“The work is very important to us because we’ve been a part of it with our grandparents and loved ones,” Campos said. “David and I are just both very compassionate people towards the elderly. He and I both took care of our grandparents. I took care of my wife’s father. We’ve seen the need and the lack of support that the disabled and elderly receive.”

Locally, Campos said there is a major need for more care services for elderly residents who do not yet require full-time caregiving but still need help with housekeeping duties and transportation to appointments.

He said Allegiance Homecare intends to expand housekeeping services or partner with a agency that can go above and beyond in mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms, laundry and other services that might be difficult for a client to manage alone.

“To me, it seems very basic to want to care for somebody and want to give them the love and tenderness that they need,” Campos said. “It isn’t in everyone to do that. Part of what we want to bring to our region is that compassion and awareness of the lifestyle some people live. A lot of people take those things for granted.”

According to Ramos, Allegiance Homecare services begin with a phone call to schedule a face-to-face meeting.

“We like to schedule a home consult where we meet with the person and discuss their care plan,” Ramos said. “We come up with a list of items they need help with. We even offer a meet and greet with a caregiver.”

Ramos said the option to stay at home has many benefits, including greater independence, high morale and a reduced risk of illnesses such as the flu and pneumonia. Clients with Alzheimer’s benefit from a familiar environment.

Allegiance Homecare accepts private pay and Veterans insurance, and all caregivers are background checked by the State of Louisiana.

For more information, call 985-359-4000 or visit allegiancecareservices.com.

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