It's a problem Vicki Lester is trying to combat.

Lester recently started her own business, "Blood Draws @ Home." For a nominal fee, Lester will come to patients' homes, draw their blood and deliver it to the lab.

Lester had the idea while working as a phlebotomy supervisor. She saw many patients who were unable to get to the lab themselves. Their relatives or caregivers were spending considerable time taking them to the hospital, often losing time at work or school.

Lester was convinced she could make everyone's life easier.

She primarily serves the south end of the Salt Lake Valley right now, but is willing to go anywhere in the county and hopes to expand the business.

Her customers constitute people who cannot, or don't like to, get to the hospital, although occasionally there is someone who just needs their yearly checkup.

Mark Huggins, director of communications for Intermountain Healthcare, says services like Lester's can be very useful to patients, though he has had no interaction with Lester and Intermountain does not endorse outside businesses.

Huggins said patients can receive home health care if they are seriously medically compromised, but a simple blood draw is not considered a "skilled practice" requiring nursing care.

Many patients may not be considered "home bound," by Medicare or their insurance, and therefore are unable to receive home care, but may still have difficulty getting to the hospital or lab. Intermountain occasionally refers these patients to services similar to Lester's, Huggins said.

Helene Heller has been a client of Lester's for several months. Her daughter-in-law, Mindy Heller, heard about Lester and believes the $25 fee is perfectly reasonable considering how much time and effort is saved. Mindy and her husband live in Ogden, and both work.

Trips to the Draper senior center where Helene lives and then to the hospital took hours.

Helene Heller has enjoyed having Lester visit her every few weeks to draw her blood. She says Lester is competent, on time and friendly. She trusts Lester, which is invaluable.

"It goes beyond somebody doing a medical procedure on a person," Mindy Heller said. "She really cares."

That relationship is very important to Lester, and she tries to cultivate trust with every client. She also thinks much of the anxiety diminishes if clients are in a familiar place, instead of a hospital.

"When they're in their own environment, they are much more comfortable," Lester said.

Find out more

* For more information, call 801-641-8868, or visit www.blooddrawsathome.com.

* Fees:

Most areas of SLC: $25 (includes blood draw and delivery of specimens)

Nonblood specimens with a blood draw: Additional $5

Pickup and delivery of nonblood specimens without blood draw: $15

* Same day service: Additional $10

* Draws outside of service area: Additional $10 to $20