CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Revenue
Revenue	$ 2,758,259	$ 3,540,195	$ 4,057,088
Expense
General and administrative expense (including non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $16,270, $20,747, and $23,026, respectively)	184,916	206,575	219,289
Facility operating lease expense	174,358	224,033	269,666
Depreciation and amortization	337,613	359,226	379,433
Asset impairment	23,003	107,308	49,266
Loss (gain) on facility operating lease termination, net	(2,003)	(2,303)	3,388
Total operating expense	2,975,195	3,637,887	4,101,586
Income (loss) from operations	(216,936)	(97,692)	(44,498)
Interest income	1,349	4,799	9,859
Interest expense:
Debt	(141,409)	(153,817)	(177,718)
Financing lease obligations	(46,282)	(48,534)	(66,353)
Amortization of deferred financing costs	(7,449)	(6,428)	(4,270)
Gain (loss) on debt modification and extinguishment, net	(1,932)	10,896	(5,247)
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated ventures	10,394	(2,107)	(4,544)
Gain (loss) on sale of assets, net	288,835	374,532	7,245
Other non-operating income (loss)	5,903	5,648	14,765
Income (loss) before income taxes	(107,527)	87,297	(270,761)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	8,163	(5,352)	2,269
Net income (loss)	(99,364)	81,945	(268,492)
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	74	74	561
Net income (loss) attributable to Brookdale Senior Living Inc. common stockholders	$ (99,290)	$ 82,019	$ (267,931)
Net income (loss) per share attributable to Brookdale Senior Living Inc. common stockholders:
Net income (loss) per share attributable to Brookdale Senior Living Inc. common stockholders - basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.54)	$ 0.45	$ (1.44)
Net income (loss) per share attributable to Brookdale Senior Living Inc. common stockholders - diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.54)	$ 0.44	$ (1.44)
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic (in shares)	184,975	183,498	185,907
Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted (in shares)	184,975	184,386	185,907
Resident fees
Revenue
Revenue	$ 2,543,848	$ 2,892,567	$ 3,209,931
Management fees
Revenue
Revenue	20,598	130,690	57,108
Reimbursed costs incurred on behalf of managed communities
Revenue
Revenue	181,445	401,189	790,049
Expense
Costs incurred	181,445	401,189	790,049
Other operating income
Revenue
Revenue	12,368	115,749	0
Facility operating expense
Expense
Costs incurred	$ 2,075,863	$ 2,341,859	$ 2,390,495