WILTON — Grief, loneliness and the strain of caregiving will take center stage April 2 in Wilton, where author Lisa Steele-Maley will speak at SeniorsPlus about the experiences behind her book, “Without a Map: A Caregiver’s Journey through the Wilderness of Heart and Mind.”

The talk will be held at 3 p.m. at SeniorsPlus Wilton, 284 Main St. It is free and open to the public. Those planning to attend may register by calling 207-795-4010, though regular Caregiver Support Group members do not need to register.

Steele-Maley said she began writing after the death of her father.

“I began writing to understand my grief after my Dad died and the writing led me to writing my way through the most difficult and beautiful experiences we had shared in the preceding years,” she said.

“I decided to share the writing when I realized how much telling the story broke a sense of isolation for me and hoped that receiving the story would help readers feel seen and understood, breaking their isolation,” she said.

Steele-Maley said she hopes caregivers who attend the discussion leave with a renewed sense of shared experience.

“I also hope they can discover, recover, or claim some creativity, beauty, and possibility within the challenges of their own particular experiences.”

She said isolation is one of the biggest challenges caregivers face, particularly in rural areas.

“Isolation is a big challenge throughout Maine, and for older populations throughout the world,” she said. “In 2023, the surgeon general declared that we are in the midst of an epidemic of loneliness and isolation.”

Steele-Maley said caregiving can narrow a person’s time and energy for outside pursuits and relationships, adding to loneliness. In rural communities, she said, those difficulties can be compounded by limited medical, financial and social resources, along with long distances between services and people.

She said support groups can play an important role in reducing that isolation.

“Support groups break isolation and build communities of support as people share time, stories, tears and laughter,” she said. “While the work of caregiving may remain solitary, I believe it can be a little less lonely and scary when there is a community to hear our stories, witness our struggles and successes, and be with us in whatever emotions and questions arise.”

Steele-Maley said she published a spiritual autobiography in 2020 and periodically shares writing at lisasteelemaley.com. She said she also provides one-on-one spiritual companionship, leads workshops and retreats, and serves as executive director of the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine.