DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
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”), an S&P 500 company, is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with a highly diversified portfolio of seniors housing and healthcare properties throughout the United States and Canada. As of September 30, 2013, we owned nearly 1,500 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 projects under development. Our company is currently headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. We primarily acquire and own seniors housing and healthcare properties and lease them to unaffiliated tenants or operate them through independent third-party managers. As of September 30, 2013, we leased a total of 910 properties (excluding MOBs and properties classified as held for sale) to various 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, with Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “Brookdale Senior Living”) and Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “Kindred”) accounting for 145 properties (excluding six properties included in investments in unconsolidated entities) and 143 properties, respectively. As of September 30, 2013, we also engaged independent operators, such as Atria Senior Living, Inc. (“Atria”) and Sunrise Senior Living, LLC (together with its subsidiaries, “Sunrise”), to manage a total of 237 of our seniors housing communities pursuant to long-term management agreements. Through our Lillibridge Healthcare Services, Inc. (“Lillibridge”) subsidiary and our ownership interest in PMB Real Estate Services LLC (“PMBRES”), we also provide MOB management, leasing, marketing, facility development and advisory services to highly rated hospitals and health systems throughout the United States. In addition, from time to time, we make secured and unsecured loans and other investments relating to seniors housing and healthcare operators or properties.

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

Ventas, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated or except where the context otherwise requires, “we,” “us” or “our”), an S&P 500 company, is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with a highly diversified portfolio of seniors housing and healthcare properties throughout the United States and Canada. As of September 30, 2013, we owned nearly 1,500 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 projects under development. Our company is currently headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

We primarily acquire and own seniors housing and healthcare properties and lease them to unaffiliated tenants or operate them through independent third-party managers. As of September 30, 2013, we leased a total of 910 properties (excluding MOBs and properties classified as held for sale) to various 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, with Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “Brookdale Senior Living”) and Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “Kindred”) accounting for 145 properties (excluding six properties included in investments in unconsolidated entities) and 143 properties, respectively. As of September 30, 2013, we also engaged independent operators, such as Atria Senior Living, Inc. (“Atria”) and Sunrise Senior Living, LLC (together with its subsidiaries, “Sunrise”), to manage a total of 237 of our seniors housing communities pursuant to long-term management agreements.

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