Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Cash and escrow deposits – restricted consist principally of deposits required by certain lenders and lessors pursuant to the applicable agreement and consist of the following (dollars in thousands):

	December 31,
	2015		2014
Current:
Real estate tax and property insurance escrows	$	18,862	$	17,926
Replacement reserve escrows		8,011		15,535
Resident deposits		862		1,054
Other		4,835		4,347
Subtotal		32,570		38,862
Long term:
Insurance deposits		15,318		19,299
CCRC escrows		13,233		13,214
Debt service reserve		3,429		1,728
Letter of credit collateral		1,202		21,935
Other		200		200
Subtotal		33,382		56,376
Total	$	65,952	$	95,238

Property, plant and equipment, useful lives

Property, plant and equipment and leasehold intangibles, which include amounts recorded under capital and financing leases, are recorded at cost. Depreciation and amortization is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which are as follows:

Asset Category		Estimated Useful Life (in years)
Buildings and improvements		40
Furniture and equipment		3 – 7
Resident lease intangibles		1 – 3

Definite lived intangible assets, useful lives

Amortization of the Company's definite-lived intangible assets is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which are as follows:

Asset Category		Estimated Useful Life (in years)
Trade names		2 - 5
Other		3 – 9