Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $)				1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Jul. 31, 2014 Acquisition of Four Previously Leased Communities [Member] Community	Jul. 31, 2014 HCP Transactions [Member] Community	Jul. 31, 2014 CCRCs JV [Member] Community	Jul. 31, 2014 RIDEA JV [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Acquisition of Emeritus [Member] Community	Jun. 30, 2014 Acquisition of Emeritus [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Acquisition of Emeritus [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Acquisition of Emeritus [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Acquisition of Emeritus [Member]
Business Combination, Description [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Name of Acquired Entity								Emeritus Corporation
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition								Jul. 31, 2014
Business Acquisition, Description of Acquired Entity								Emeritus is a senior living service provider focused on operating residential style communities throughout the United States. Emeritus' assisted living and Alzheimer's and dementia care communities provide a residential housing alternative for senior citizens who need help with the activities of daily living, with an emphasis on assisted living and personal care services. Many of Emeritus' communities offer independent living alternatives and, to a lesser extent, skilled nursing care. Emeritus also offers a range of outpatient therapy and home health services in Florida, Arizona and Texas. As of July 31, 2014, Emeritus owned 182 communities and leased 311 communities.
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired								100.00%
Business Combination, Control Obtained Description								the issuance of 47.6 million shares of common stock in the acquisition of outstanding Emeritus common stock and Emeritus stock options
Business Acquisition, Transaction Costs									$ 21,800,000		$ 21,800,000
Number of communities owned								182
Number of communities operated under long-term leases								311
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares								47,600,000
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Basis for Determining Value								The fair value of the 47.6 million common shares issued was determined based on the closing market price of the Company's common shares on the acquisition date.
Property, plant and equipment and leasehold intangibles								5,520,000,000
Goodwill		109,553,000	109,553,000					518,000,000
Other intangible assets								287,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired And Liabilities Assumed, Other Assets								383,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired And Liabilities Assumed, Long Term Debt								(4,192,000,000)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired And Liabilities Assumed, Other								(867,000,000)
Fair value of Brookdale common stock issued								1,649,000,000
Business Combination, Provisional Information, Initial Accounting Incomplete, Reasons								The Company is in the process of obtaining third-party valuations of Emeritus' assets and liabilities.
Pro forma total revenue									1,273,000,000	1,192,000,000	2,542,000,000	2,377,000,000
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Net Income (Loss)									(43,000,000)	(132,000,000)	(93,000,000)	(259,000,000)
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Basic									$ (0.25)	$ (0.77)	$ (0.54)	$ (1.52)
Business Acquisitions, Pro Forma Weighted Average Number Of Share Outstanding Basic And Diluted									172,642,000	170,989,000	172,354,000	170,698,000
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	400,000,000	200,000,000	200,000,000
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of facilities purchased or sold				4
Aggregate purchase price				51,400,000		323,500,000
Debt				17,000,000
Number Of Communities Securing First Mortgage Financing				3
Number Of Communities For Which Existing Lease Agreement Is Amended					153
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage						51.00%	20.00%
Partners Joint Venture Ownership Percentage						49.00%	80.00%
Number Of Communities With Cancelled Purchase Options					49
Number of Communities Subject to Purchase Agreements						4
Amount of Reimbursements Available for Capital Expenditures on Leased Communities					$ 100,000,000
Initial Lease Rate for Lessor Reimbursements for Capital Expenditures					7.00%