Laughter on Call: Connect to Our Aging Parents with Dani Klein Modisett

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-ks7sy-f5b88f

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Alzheimer’s and memory issues are hardships many of us have been exposed to. Whether it be through personal experience or contact with a loved one, those who have been exposed understand firsthand how difficult it can be. It can be difficult for both caretakers and patients to find joy in harder moments. Our guest today, Dani Klein Modisett, saw this issue and created Laughter on Call to help lift everyone’s spirits. In today’s episode, we sat down with Dani to discuss her business and how it has impacted the lives of others. We asked Dani about Laughter on Call, an organization where comedians connect with Alzheimer’s and memory loss seniors and make them laugh, lifting their spirits and bringing happiness to their day. Dani first got the idea for Laughter on Call after her own mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She saw how her mother got so depressed while in a facility and thought hiring a comedian would make her mother feel better. After a week or so, her mother’s entire demeanor changed; she seemed happier and had bonded with the comedian. After the positive experience, Dani started Laughter on Call so that Alzheimer’s and memory loss patients nationwide could have the same opportunity to connect with a comedian and laugh. We also asked about Lunchtime Laughter, a zoom session offered by Laughter on Call for patients and caretakers. Once the pandemic hit, it became difficult for comedians to meet with patients in person. Through Lunchtime Laughter, patients, caretakers and comedians meet Monday through Friday at noon PST via zoom to talk, play games, laugh, share stories, and more. Dani told us she finds her comedians mostly through Facebook and word of mouth, and that comedy has been more of a challenge through zoom. Without a live audience to connect with, comedians have to rely on their instincts in order to make their set work and entertain people through zoom. For her clients, comedians typically meet with patients twice a week for half-hour sessions, though the times and number of sessions per week varies depending on each person. We asked where Dani would like Laughter on Call to go in the future, and she said she wants to eventually go back to in person meetings, wants to start a potential talk show for seniors, has a book idea, and would like there to be more training and speaking engagements. When asked about advice for people unsure of how to approach loved ones with Alzheimer’s, Dani mentioned that their favorite music, food, and things is a good way to connect with them. Also, she emphasized that eye contact is important. Dani told us that the best way to get in touch with her is through her email, which is on her website.

Dani Klein Modisett

LAUGHTER ON CALL

From Klein Comedy’s Website:

Dani Klein Modisett has been a professional comedian for over 20 years. Her recent book, “Take My Spouse, Please,” about the importance of laughter in long-term relationships earned high praise from couples’ therapists around the country and long-term marrieds like Carl Reiner, Jerry Stiller and Patricia Heaton. It was voted Top 7 Book to Read by L.A. Magazine and is currently being developed with Fremantle Media as a non-fiction series.

Klein taught stand-up comedy at UCLA for nearly a decade. She is also the author of “Afterbirth…Stories You Won’t Read in a Parenting Magazine,” (St. Martin’s Press) which received a glowing review in The LA Times, “Afterbirth plumbs the emotional and diaper-filled depths of procreation…the pieces here skewer the fantasies of parenthood and do it with hilarious candor.”

Klein recently completed a 15-city tour with “Take My Spouse, Please” where she performed stand up from Florida to Detroit to the Silicon Valley. In many of these locations she taught comedy workshops to pros and non-pros during the day. She has run these workshops around the country, training aspiring comics and people in all professions in basic, time-tested tools that comics rely upon to improve their productivity – and of course, to laugh more.

She is a graduate of Dartmouth College and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.

Laughter on Call

Laughter for Biz
- Happier Hour
  - Provides a structure for Zoom socializing with ice-breaking questions, improv games, and personal storytelling prompts to help people get to know each other a little better, relax, unwind
  - Sessions normally run from half-hour to one hour
  - Currently available as webinars
  - Rates are subject to number of people in party
- Laughter Gym
  - Two Laughter on Call comedians lead group in half-hour workshop that includes physical and vocal warm-ups, comedy prompts that serve as icebreakers for group, followed by improv games
  - Customized packages based on needs
  - Currently available as webinars
- Laughter Improv Workshop
  - Hour-long workshops that engage teams in specific improv games to nurture what is needed most to preserve culture (innovation, risk taking, team building, simply better listening, etc.)
  - Customized packages based on needs
  - Currently available as webinars
- Laughter Tools for Leadership & Sales
  - 8 step acronym that breaks down components of how to create healthy shared laughter that makes people feel seen, appreciated, their most productive
  - Customized packages based on needs
  - Currently available as webinars
- 1:1 Laughter for Leadership Coaching
  - Dani’s coaching technique grounded in proven tools honed teaching stand up to under grads and professionals at UCLA and 25 years working as a comedian and teacher
  - Session length customized based on needs
  - Pricing based on scope of projects
  - Currently available as webinars
Laughter for Kidz
- Comedy 101 for Kidz
  - 8-week, 1 hour workshop where kids are taught 4 basic styles of comedy: stand-up, improv, clown, sketch
  - All ages
  - $300 for 8-week class, 10 students per class
  - Classes held virtually
- Stand Up Class for Kidz
  - Taught by professional comedians, teenagers learn and develop tools for joke writing, crowd work, comic timing, performance
  - Ages 13-17
  - $300 for 8-week class, 10 students per class
  - Classes held virtually
- Improv Class for Kidz
  - Taught by trained professionals, uses tried and true comedy exercises to encourage students to use imagination, keep their minds sharp, laugh together
  - All ages
  - $300 for 8-week class, 10 students per class
  - Classes held virtually
Laughter for Seniorz
- Memoir Class for Seniorz
  - In series of hour-long workshops, participants are prompted by specific questions to recount the most significant events of their lives
  - Prices range from $200-$400, class contingent on number of students and length of workshop
  - Classes currently held virtually
- Improv Comedy Class for Seniorz
  - Specifically designed to engage seniors, Laughter on Call team uses tried and true comedy exercises to encourage them to use their imagination, keep their minds sharp, and laugh together
  - Prices range from $200-$400, class contingent on the number of students and length of workshop
  - Classes currently held virtually
- Stand Up Class for Seniorz
  - Former tonight show comedian, Cathy Ladman, is teaming up with Laughter on Call to teach a six-week class to 10 students
  - Prices range from $200-$400, class for communities depending on number of participants or $300 per person if signing up individually
  - Classes currently held virtually
- Laughter Training for Caregivers
  - 8 step acronym outlining simple comedian’s tools to help create connection through shared laughter with their loved ones and communities
  - Options include:
    - Leadership training
    - Staff training
    - Family support workshop
  - Prices are starting at $500, first 20 participants, $45 for each additional guest
  - Available as online webinar
- 1:1 Comedy Care Companion
  - Comedian is brought virtually to loved one, for as many times a week as desired, for customized cognitive engagement, laughter
  - Recommended: booking 4 sessions for full benefit of relationship between comedian and loved one
  - $125 for first half hour virtual session, which includes intake, consultation, finding the right comedian for your loved one, $200 for 4 half-hour virtual sessions after the first session
Lunchtime Laughter
- An hour-long livestream Monday through Friday from 12-12:30 P.M. PST for patients and their caretakers to relax, chat, play games, tell stories, laugh