Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

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,
	2016		2015
Current:
Real estate tax and property insurance escrows	$	19,671	$	18,862
Replacement reserve escrows		6,970		8,011
Resident deposits		764		862
Other		5,459		4,835
Subtotal		32,864		32,570
Long term:
Insurance deposits		12,941		15,318
CCRC escrows		13,301		13,233
Debt service reserve		1,819		3,429
Letter of credit collateral		—		1,202
Other		—		200
Subtotal		28,061		33,382
Total	$	60,925	$	65,952

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