Bruce - Great list - I can recognise the mind of a programmer at work here!
That exercise - to break something as common place as taking a bath or a shower into all of it's individual steps - is such a good way to analyse why a person with AD might be reacting so negatively.
Each of those steps have the potential for pain, embarassment, failure, fear, etc. Also, the process of undressing and then dressing again can be added to the list - and they can be challenging in their own ways.
Thinking about all those steps, and then seeing them through the eyes of someone who doesn't think they need to go through all that. As Nat has already commented, think about how many small children react negatively to bath times.
In fact, many of the tips on bathing in one book I have on AD are much like the tips in one of my child care books: have everything ready, stick to a routine, warm the room, shallow water level, check water temperature, break activity into steps, be calm but firm. The one different comment was the suggestion to drape a towel over the person's shoulders to keep them warm and give a sense of privacy (not too practical in the shower
).
I don't think that this approach necessarily infantilises people with AD. It's just a recognition that even routine tasks are made up of lots of little tasks that can be difficult for people who are just learning or who have lost some skills they once had. When those little tasks feel too difficult as a whole, the result is often a catastrophic reaction.
Take care,
Sandy