Supplemental Guarantor and Non-Guarantor Financial Information (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 18,569	$ 74,641
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	(14,214)	(9,235)
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of cash transferred	508	5,720
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(4,638)	(22,520)
Net cash used in investing activities	(18,344)	(26,035)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	2,459	2,421
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	92	0
Payment for contingent consideration accrued at acquisition date	(1,675)	0
Intercompany Dividends	0
Repayment of long-term debt	(25,000)	(50,000)
Debt issuance costs	(449)	(4,125)
Minority interest capital contribution	1,600	0
Majority interest capital contribution	0
Repurchase of common stock	0	(4,974)
Distribution to minority interests	(563)	(685)
Distribution to majority interests	0
Other	(447)	(106)
Net payments related to intercompany financing	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(23,983)	(57,469)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(23,758)	(8,863)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	207,052	164,912
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	183,294	156,049
Gentiva Health Services, Inc. [Member]
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by operating activities	(24,718)	3,710
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of cash transferred	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	2,459	2,421
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	92
Payment for contingent consideration accrued at acquisition date	0
Intercompany Dividends	2,300
Repayment of long-term debt	(25,000)	(50,000)
Debt issuance costs	(449)	(4,125)
Minority interest capital contribution	0
Majority interest capital contribution	0
Repurchase of common stock		(4,974)
Distribution to minority interests	0	0
Distribution to majority interests	0
Other	(416)	3,395
Net payments related to intercompany financing	21,937	40,122
Net cash used in financing activities	923	(13,161)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(23,795)	(9,451)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	166,140	124,101
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	142,345	114,650
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by operating activities	41,545	66,138
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	(13,872)	(9,188)
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of cash transferred	508	5,720
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(4,538)	(22,520)
Net cash used in investing activities	(17,902)	(25,988)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	0
Payment for contingent consideration accrued at acquisition date	(1,675)
Intercompany Dividends	0
Repayment of long-term debt	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0
Minority interest capital contribution	0
Majority interest capital contribution	0
Repurchase of common stock		0
Distribution to minority interests	0	0
Distribution to majority interests	0
Other	(31)	(28)
Net payments related to intercompany financing	(21,937)	(40,122)
Net cash used in financing activities	(23,643)	(40,150)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by operating activities	3,038	4,793
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	(342)	(47)
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of cash transferred	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(2,500)	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,842)	(47)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	0
Payment for contingent consideration accrued at acquisition date	0
Intercompany Dividends	(2,300)
Repayment of long-term debt	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0
Minority interest capital contribution	1,600
Majority interest capital contribution	2,400
Repurchase of common stock		0
Distribution to minority interests	(563)	(685)
Distribution to majority interests	(1,296)
Other	0	(3,473)
Net payments related to intercompany financing	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(159)	(4,158)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	37	588
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	40,912	40,811
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	40,949	41,399
Eliminations [Member]
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by operating activities	(1,296)	0
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of cash transferred	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	2,400	0
Net cash used in investing activities	2,400	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	0
Payment for contingent consideration accrued at acquisition date	0
Intercompany Dividends	0
Repayment of long-term debt	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0
Minority interest capital contribution	0
Majority interest capital contribution	(2,400)
Repurchase of common stock		0
Distribution to minority interests	0	0
Distribution to majority interests	1,296
Other	0	0
Net payments related to intercompany financing	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(1,104)	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0	$ 0