Condensed Consolidating Information (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Revenues:
Rental income																	$ 1,194,060	$ 803,455	$ 523,339
Resident fees and services																	1,229,479	868,095	446,301
Medical office building and other services revenue																	20,741	36,471	14,098
Income from loans and investments																	39,913	34,415	16,412
Equity earnings in affiliates																	0	0	0
Interest and other income																	1,106	1,217	484
Total revenues	660,711	[1]	641,520	[1]	614,502	[1]	568,566	[1]	563,145	[2]	554,691	[2]	359,421	[2]	266,396	[2]	2,485,299	1,743,653	1,000,634
Expenses:
Interest																	293,401	229,346	172,474
Depreciation and amortization																	725,981	447,664	200,682
Property-level operating expenses																	969,342	647,193	315,953
Medical office building services costs																	9,883	27,082	9,518
General, administrative and professional fees																	98,801	74,537	49,830
Loss on extinguishment of debt, net																	37,640	27,604	9,791
Litigation proceeds, net																	0	(202,259)	0
Merger-related expenses and deal costs																	63,183	153,923	19,243
Other																	6,956	7,270	272
Total expenses																	2,205,187	1,412,360	777,763
Income from continuing operations before income from unconsolidated entities, income taxes, discontinued operations and noncontrolling interest																	280,112	331,293	222,871
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities																	18,154	(52)	(664)
Income tax benefit (expense)																	6,282	30,660	(5,201)
Income from continuing operations																	304,548	361,901	217,006
Discontinued operations	(11,725)	[1]	(4,093)	[1]	30,529	[1]	42,516	[1]	(605)	[2]	(306)	[2]	1,226	[2]	1,045	[2]	57,227	1,360	32,723
Net income																	361,775	363,261	249,729
Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax																	(1,025)	(1,232)	3,562
Net income attributable to common stockholders	86,267		111,882		74,025		90,626		192,948		102,885		19,676		48,984		362,800	364,493	246,167
Ventas, Inc.
Revenues:
Rental income																	2,538	2,471	2,409
Resident fees and services																	0	0	0
Medical office building and other services revenue																	0	0	0
Income from loans and investments																	2,944	6,305	5,666
Equity earnings in affiliates																	322,582	231,773	258,441
Interest and other income																	476	208	332
Total revenues																	328,540	240,757	266,848
Expenses:
Interest																	(3,858)	(1,897)	1,758
Depreciation and amortization																	2,777	1,714	1,635
Property-level operating expenses																	0	0	0
Medical office building services costs																	0	0	0
General, administrative and professional fees																	3,682	(5,328)	(2,549)
Loss on extinguishment of debt, net																	0	2,071	0
Litigation proceeds, net																		(202,259)
Merger-related expenses and deal costs																	53,120	111,845	14,291
Other																	79	778	219
Total expenses																	55,800	(93,076)	15,354
Income from continuing operations before income from unconsolidated entities, income taxes, discontinued operations and noncontrolling interest																	272,740	333,833	251,494
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities																	0	0	0
Income tax benefit (expense)																	6,282	30,660	(5,201)
Income from continuing operations																	279,022	364,493	246,293
Discontinued operations																	83,778	0	(126)
Net income																	362,800	364,493	246,167
Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax																	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders																	362,800	364,493	246,167
Ventas Issuers
Revenues:
Rental income																	278,367	270,745	264,250
Resident fees and services																	0	0	0
Medical office building and other services revenue																	0	0	0
Income from loans and investments																	1,630	8,570	7,789
Equity earnings in affiliates																	0	0	0
Interest and other income																	25	57	83
Total revenues																	280,022	279,372	272,122
Expenses:
Interest																	93,838	68,153	47,246
Depreciation and amortization																	36,608	31,752	32,771
Property-level operating expenses																	535	510	519
Medical office building services costs																	0	0	0
General, administrative and professional fees																	30,317	29,336	21,618
Loss on extinguishment of debt, net																	39,737	8,769	8,993
Litigation proceeds, net																		0
Merger-related expenses and deal costs																	0	0	0
Other																	0	0	0
Total expenses																	201,035	138,520	111,147
Income from continuing operations before income from unconsolidated entities, income taxes, discontinued operations and noncontrolling interest																	78,987	140,852	160,975
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities																	1,557	(52)	(664)
Income tax benefit (expense)																	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations																	80,544	140,800	160,311
Discontinued operations																	2,296	3,881	31,088
Net income																	82,840	144,681	191,399
Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax																	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders																	82,840	144,681	191,399
Ventas Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Rental income																	913,155	530,239	256,680
Resident fees and services																	1,229,479	868,095	446,301
Medical office building and other services revenue																	20,741	36,471	14,098
Income from loans and investments																	35,339	19,540	2,957
Equity earnings in affiliates																	828	1,447	1,914
Interest and other income																	605	952	69
Total revenues																	2,200,147	1,456,744	722,019
Expenses:
Interest																	203,421	163,090	123,470
Depreciation and amortization																	686,596	414,198	166,276
Property-level operating expenses																	968,807	646,683	315,434
Medical office building services costs																	9,883	27,082	9,518
General, administrative and professional fees																	64,802	50,529	30,761
Loss on extinguishment of debt, net																	(2,097)	16,764	798
Litigation proceeds, net																		0
Merger-related expenses and deal costs																	10,063	42,078	4,952
Other																	6,877	6,492	53
Total expenses																	1,948,352	1,366,916	651,262
Income from continuing operations before income from unconsolidated entities, income taxes, discontinued operations and noncontrolling interest																	251,795	89,828	70,757
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities																	16,597	0	0
Income tax benefit (expense)																	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations																	268,392	89,828	70,757
Discontinued operations																	(28,847)	(2,521)	1,761
Net income																	239,545	87,307	72,518
Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax																	(1,025)	(1,232)	3,562
Net income attributable to common stockholders																	240,570	88,539	68,956
Consolidated Elimination
Revenues:
Rental income																	0	0	0
Resident fees and services																	0	0	0
Medical office building and other services revenue																	0	0	0
Income from loans and investments																	0	0	0
Equity earnings in affiliates																	(323,410)	(233,220)	(260,355)
Interest and other income																	0	0	0
Total revenues																	(323,410)	(233,220)	(260,355)
Expenses:
Interest																	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization																	0	0	0
Property-level operating expenses																	0	0	0
Medical office building services costs																	0	0	0
General, administrative and professional fees																	0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt, net																	0	0	0
Litigation proceeds, net																		0
Merger-related expenses and deal costs																	0	0	0
Other																	0	0	0
Total expenses																	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before income from unconsolidated entities, income taxes, discontinued operations and noncontrolling interest																	(323,410)	(233,220)	(260,355)
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities																	0	0	0
Income tax benefit (expense)																	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations																	(323,410)	(233,220)	(260,355)
Discontinued operations																	0	0	0
Net income																	(323,410)	(233,220)	(260,355)
Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax																	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders																	$ (323,410)	$ (233,220)	$ (260,355)

[1] The amounts presented for the three months ended March 31, 2012, June 30, 2012 and September 30, 2012 differ from the amounts previously reported in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q as a result of discontinued operations consisting of properties sold in 2012 or classified as held for sale as of December 31, 2012.

[2] The amounts presented for the three months ended March 31, 2011, June 30, 2011, September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2011 differ from the amounts previously reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 as a result of discontinued operations consisting of properties sold in 2012 or classified as held for sale as of December 31, 2012.