NORTH BAY, Ont. - The nephew of a Second World War veteran who served in the merchant marines says his uncle deserves the best care for his dementia.

And, Bob Kouris says, it should be close to home.

But as his uncle slowly loses his memories, he will also soon lose his bed in a specialized program in his hometown of North Bay, Ont.

Kouris's 83-year-old uncle is one of 11 seniors with dementia who are set to be moved to Sudbury after their mental health centre merges with a new hospital and loses beds in January.

The list of those being moved is constantly changing as the patients improve or worsen, and some could learn at the last minute whether they get to stay or go, a hospital spokeswoman says.

The 130-kilometre distance between North Bay and Sudbury makes it hard for family members -- many who are seniors themselves -- to make the trip.

"We would like to see him stay here in this area," Kouris says of his uncle, explaining he and his wife currently visit several times a month. But those trips will dwindle if the couple is forced to make the three-hour return trip to Sudbury.

"Visiting would be limited. I'm 79 years old myself, so I'm not going to be running around like a youngster."

A hospital spokeswoman says a committee decided to move a total of 31 beds to Sudbury to make it easier for families of patients from other parts of northern Ontario. Five of the beds are currently empty. Fifteen are for patients with other mental health conditions.

"The beds would relocate to Sudbury and be more centrally located within the region that we serve, so that patients from Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins wouldn't have to drive as far as North Bay to access the service," says Pat Stephens of North Bay General Hospital.

But at least five of the dementia patients set to move are from the North Bay area. Several more are from areas like Muskoka or Parry Sound.

Families of the North Bay patients and some of their nurses say they won't give up their fight to keep the local seniors closer to their hometowns.

"The main message we want to get out there is we're not stopping," says Sue McIntyre, a nurse who works with the patients.

McIntyre, families and some local politicians have formed a group called the Concerned Citizens Committee of North Bay and Area.

The group filed a complaint to Ontario's ombudsman on the grounds that families were not consulted before the decision was made to move the patients. Earlier this month, the ombudsman's office said it would not investigate.

The office acknowledged that potentially affected families were not consulted, but says they had their chance to ask questions at a public meeting in April in Sault Ste. Marie where about 50 doctors, mental health workers, hospital staff and media attended.

In a letter posted on its website after the ombudsman's move, the Local Health Integration Network says the decision to move the beds "was not taken lightly."

"It was made following consultation with patients and their families, front-line health workers, and mental health and addiction providers," the letter states.

McIntyre says the health network only posted meeting notices on its website.

"We're saying you just walked the line with this notifying the public and getting feedback," she says.

"How do you reach out to seniors through a website?"

The concerned citizens' group says it will appeal the ombudsman's decision and plans to travel 350 kilometres to bring the fight to the provincial legislature in Toronto.

Members say they'll march to the legislative buildings and deliver bags stuffed with 8,000 postcards from supporters, similar to a scene from the film "Miracle on 34th Street."

"And we're hoping for a miracle," McIntyre says.

"But we're not stopping. People are distraught."

McIntyre says moving the patients away from their families is taking away a critical resource for their well-being.

"They never forget their families. They may forget their names, but it's their quality of life. We involve their families in everything, from Day 1 until end of life," she says.

Some of the patients are being reassessed and can stay in other parts of the new hospital, while others have found alternative care in North Bay.

But Kouris says nursing homes in the city told him they don't have the staff to handle his uncle's condition.

This week he asked the federal Veterans Affairs department to help find another space closer to North Bay.

"I feel (a veteran) deserves better than to be moved to Sudbury," he says.

The North East Local Health Integration Network is one of 14 regional agencies set up by the province to distribute money to hospitals, clinics and long-term care homes.

Earlier this year, ombudsman Andre Marin issued a scathing report accusing them of holding "illegal" secret meetings on restructuring services and closing emergency rooms.

Premier Dalton McGuinty has promised to find ways to improve the health networks, but has postponed an already overdue review until after next year's provincial election.