Acquisitions and Dispositions (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended				3 Months Ended			0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012 Home Health and Hospice [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Home Health and Hospice [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Home Health and Hospice [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Home Health and Hospice [Member] Louisiana [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Home Health [Member] Louisiana [Member] Branch	Sep. 30, 2012 Hospice [Member] Louisiana [Member] Branch	May 31, 2012 Healthcare Partners [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Appalachian Regional Health Systems [Member] NORTH CAROLINA	Aug. 23, 2013 Wake Forest Baptist Health Care at Home, LLC [Member] NORTH CAROLINA	Apr. 30, 2013 Hope Hospice Inc [Member] INDIANA	Jul. 22, 2012 Advocate Hospice Llc [Member] INDIANA	Sep. 30, 2013 Advocate Hospice Llc [Member] INDIANA	Jun. 30, 2013 Advocate Hospice Llc [Member] INDIANA	Dec. 31, 2012 Advocate Hospice Llc [Member] INDIANA	Aug. 31, 2012 Family Home Care Corporation [Member] WASHINGTON & IDAHO [Domain]	Aug. 31, 2012 North Mississippi Hospice [Member] MISSISSIPPI	Dec. 31, 2012 North Mississippi Hospice [Member] MISSISSIPPI	Aug. 23, 2013 Cash [Member] Wake Forest Baptist Health Care at Home, LLC [Member] NORTH CAROLINA	Aug. 23, 2013 Other Assets [Member] Wake Forest Baptist Health Care at Home, LLC [Member] NORTH CAROLINA
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition												Sep. 30, 2013	Aug. 23, 2013	Apr. 30, 2013	Jul. 22, 2012				Aug. 31, 2012	Aug. 31, 2012
Business Acquisition, Name of Acquired Entity												Appalachian Regional Health Systems	Wake Forest Baptist Health Care at Home, LLC	Hope Hospice, Inc.	Advocate Hospice				Family Home Care Corporation	North Mississippi Hospice
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred			$ 6,100,000									$ 2,700,000	$ 2,400,000	$ 1,000,000	$ 5,500,000				$ 12,300,000	$ 4,700,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross												2,100,000			5,500,000				12,300,000	4,700,000
Escrow fund liability												600,000					500,000
Purchase price allocation, intangible assets not amortizable												100,000		500,000					6,200,000	1,400,000
Purchase price allocation, current assets, receivables														300,000
Purchase price allocation, other assets																			500,000
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent	50.00%		50.00%										60.00%
Cost of acquired entity, other noncash consideration														1,000,000
Payments to Acquire Interest in Subsidiaries and Affiliates													2,400,000									2,200,000	200,000
Contingent consideration, potential cash payment															2,000,000
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability															1,900,000			1,100,000
Contingent consideration arrangements, change in amount of contingent consideration, liability																	900,000	(800,000)
Payment for contingent consideration accrued at acquisition date			(1,675,000)	0												(200,000)	(1,500,000)
Dispositions [Abstract]
Total consideration from sale of business								6,400,000			300,000
Number of branches sold									8	4
Proceeds from divestiture of businesses			508,000	5,720,000	5,900,000	500,000
Receivables from business dispositions							500,000
Gain on sale of businesses	0	0	0	5,447,000
Reduction in Escrow Fund Receivable																					$ 200,000