Exposure on single claim

No definition available.

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- Definition

Guarantor obligations and warranty claims accrual

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Guarantor obligations, period

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Historical claims data, period of time

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Number Of Wholly Owned Subsidiaries

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percent of population serviced

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Professional liability and other risks, insurance deductible

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Telephone directories amount of time in circulation

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount charged to advertising expense for the period, which are expenses incurred with the objective of increasing revenue for a specified brand, product or product line.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 720
-SubTopic 35
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420018&loc=d3e36677-107848

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of charity care provided during the period based on the provider's direct and indirect costs of providing charity care services.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 954
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35755915&loc=d3e8255-115641

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to quantitative amount, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 18
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6351-108592

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750535&loc=d3e13531-108611

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6404-108592

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750535&loc=d3e13537-108611

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of a reclassification adjustment made to prior period financial statement amounts.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
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- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an earning process. Includes, but is not limited to, investment and interest income before deduction of interest expense when recognized as a component of revenue, and sales and trading gain (loss).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 03
-Paragraph 1
-Article 5

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- Details

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- Details

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Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) entity item	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of wholly-owned subsidiaries \| entity	2
Cost of providing charity care	$ 7,600,000	$ 7,300,000	$ 7,500,000
Guarantee and warranty claims accrual	340,000	350,000
Advertising expense in continuing operations	$ 36,400,000	32,800,000	31,000,000
Years in circulation	1 year
Historical claims data, period of time	10 years
classification adjustments	$ 2,100,000	$ 2,500,000	$ 3,000,000
Sales Revenue [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage	90.00%	90.00%	90.00%
Roto Rooter And Corporate Office [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Exposure on single claim	$ 750,000
Segment Roto-Rooter [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of Operating Segments \| item	1
Percent of population serviced	90.00%
Segment Roto-Rooter [Member] \| Service Revenues [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%
Segment Roto-Rooter [Member] \| Sales Revenue [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage	28.00%	27.00%
Segment VITAS [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 0
Exposure on single claim	1,000,000
Professional liability and other risks, insurance deductible	$ 750,000
Segment VITAS [Member] \| Service Revenues [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage	90.00%	90.00%
Segment VITAS [Member] \| Sales Revenue [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage	72.00%	73.00%
Minimum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Period of service guarantee	1 day
Maximum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Period of service guarantee	1 year
Medicare [Member] \| Accounts Receivable [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage	49.00%	61.00%
Medicaid [Member] \| Accounts Receivable [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage	41.00%	31.00%
Medicare And Medicaid [Member] \| Accounts Receivable [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk, percentage	80.00%