In medical and legal circles, a "terminal illness" or condition is one which is determined by your physician will cause death in 6 months regardless of the treatment rendered.
Some would say that natural death by dehydration fits that definition.
The narrow point of discussion was whether or not Mae Mcgouirk "is terminal." RGSpinach says she is. RGSpinach asserted at 2494 that Mae is presently in a terminal condition due to her dissection. RGSpinach also notes, pehaps in jest, that "terminal" is not a medical term.
At the time of Mae's admission to hospice, Dr. Stout presumably held the medical opinion that Mae was terminal. We don't know if Dr. Stout holds the same opinion today.
At this point, the discussion between RGSpinach and me is reduced to semantics, so I decided to make light of it then cease.