Description of Business

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Description of Business

Description of Business

Ventas, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated or except where the context otherwise requires, “we,” “us” or “our”) is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with a highly diversified portfolio of seniors housing and healthcare properties located throughout the United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2012, we owned more than 1,400 properties, including seniors housing communities, skilled nursing and other facilities, medical office buildings (“MOBs”), and hospitals, in 46 states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces, and we had three new properties under development. We are an S&P 500 company and currently headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

We primarily acquire and own seniors housing and healthcare properties and lease our properties to unaffiliated tenants or operate them through independent third-party managers. As of December 31, 2012, we leased 898 properties (excluding MOBs and properties classified as held for sale) to healthcare operating companies under “triple-net” or “absolute-net” leases that obligate the tenants to pay all property-related expenses, including maintenance, utilities, repairs, taxes, insurance and capital expenditures, and we engaged independent operators, such as Atria Senior Living, Inc. (“Atria”) and Sunrise Senior Living, LLC (formerly Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. and, together with its affiliates, “Sunrise”), to manage 223 of our seniors housing communities pursuant to long-term management agreements. Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “Kindred”) and Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “Brookdale Senior Living”) leased from us 196 properties and 148 properties (excluding six properties included in investments in unconsolidated entities), respectively, as of December 31, 2012.

In addition, through our Lillibridge Healthcare Services, Inc. (“Lillibridge”) subsidiary and our ownership interest in PMB Real Estate Services LLC (“PMBRES”), we provide MOB management, leasing, marketing, facility development and advisory services to highly rated hospitals and health systems throughout the United States. From time to time, we also make secured and unsecured loans and other investments relating to seniors housing and healthcare operators or properties.