Debt, Financings (Details) - First Mortgage loan refinanced in March 2016 [Member] $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) Community
Financings [Line Items]
Proceeds from debt financing \| $	$ 100
Maturity date	Jan. 01, 2023
Number of communities securing mortgage notes \| Community	10
Weighted average interest rate	4.20%

The number of the company's communities securing the Long-term debt instrument.

No definition available.

Name:	bkd_NumberOfCommunitiesSecuringMortgageNotes
Namespace Prefix:	bkd_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date when the debt instrument is scheduled to be fully repaid, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentMaturityDate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average interest rate of long-term debt outstanding.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The cash inflow during the period from additional borrowings in aggregate debt. Includes proceeds from short-term and long-term debt.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAxis=bkd_FirstMortgageLoanRefinancedInMarch2016Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: