In 2018, after noticing that her mother had become depressed facing Alzheimer’s, Dani Klein Modisett had the idea to hire a professional comedian to cheer her up. And it worked! The quality of the end of her mother’s life was transformed, thanks to the connection that was created through laughter. Her mother started eating again, joining in with her community, even singing. Dani sensed that this breakthrough would serve others. She wrote an article about the experience for AARP, and received hundreds of requests to connect comedians to loved ones around the world who were feeling isolated by Alzheimer’s. This inspired her to launch Laughter On Call, initially pairing comedians with Alzheimer’s patients and quickly expanding to training for healthcare workers and families in simple comedian’s tools to help mitigate feelings of isolation. Then COVID-19 hit and the whole world became isolated. Dani once again, had another light-bulb moment. Using the comedy prompts and Improv skills they relied on, she and her team developed virtual programming to give people around the world the comic relief they were craving. Laughter on Call programs are run by a diverse group of professional comedians who make the distinction between “laughing with” and “laughing at.” They use affiliative humor, proven to bring people together, lend perspective, and introduce levity to any situation. As the “sensitive” comedy company, they don’t exploit vulnerability or engage with sarcasm. They are committed to boosting morale and fostering inclusive environments, helping people create a strong and healthy foundation for freeing creativity and increasing productivity.

laughteroncall.com