CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ 717,724	$ 595,702
Net cash used in investing activities	(996,747)	(385,433)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	(321,334)	(199,951)
Proceeds from debt	1,107,971	696,661
Repayment of debt	(278,442)	(272,726)
Net change in intercompany debt	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(3,816)	0
Payment of deferred financing costs	(14,608)	(6,846)
Issuance of common stock, net	352,167	0
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	0	0
Cash distribution to common stockholders	(516,404)	(426,952)
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	(4,697)	(2,762)
Purchases of redeemable OP units	(33,188)	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(9,467)	(4,908)
Other	5,928	(574)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	284,110	(218,058)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	5,087	(7,789)
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	97	(392)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	55,348	94,816
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	60,532	86,635
Ventas, Inc.
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(6,671)	(87,463)
Net cash used in investing activities	(923,494)	(183,034)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	45,000	0
Proceeds from debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Net change in intercompany debt	1,295,130	597,469
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Payment of deferred financing costs	0	0
Issuance of common stock, net	352,167
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	(269,799)	113,939
Cash distribution to common stockholders	(516,404)	(426,952)
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Other	5,928	2,546
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	912,022	287,002
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(18,143)	16,505
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	5,004	5,552
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	24,857	28,169
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	11,718	50,226
Ventas Realty
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	41,072	46,937
Net cash used in investing activities	(10,153)	(1,946)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	(228,000)	(196,000)
Proceeds from debt	896,478	696,661
Repayment of debt	0	0
Net change in intercompany debt	(711,399)	(546,235)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Payment of deferred financing costs	(12,755)	(5,966)
Issuance of common stock, net	0
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	24,757	6,544
Cash distribution to common stockholders	0	0
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	0	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Other	0	5
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(30,919)	(44,991)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0	0
Ownership percentage	100.00%
Ventas Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ 683,323	636,228
Net cash used in investing activities	(63,100)	(200,453)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	(138,334)	(3,951)
Proceeds from debt	211,493	0
Repayment of debt	(278,442)	(272,726)
Net change in intercompany debt	(583,731)	(51,234)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(3,816)
Payment of deferred financing costs	(1,853)	(880)
Issuance of common stock, net	0
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	245,042	(120,483)
Cash distribution to common stockholders	0	0
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	(4,697)	(2,762)
Purchases of redeemable OP units	(33,188)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(9,467)	(4,908)
Other	0	(3,125)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(596,993)	(460,069)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	23,230	(24,294)
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	(4,907)	(5,944)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	30,491	66,647
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	48,814	36,409
Consolidated Eliminations
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	0	0
Proceeds from debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Net change in intercompany debt	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0
Payment of deferred financing costs	0	0
Issuance of common stock, net	0
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	0	0
Cash distribution to common stockholders	0	0
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	0	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0	$ 0
Ventas Capital Corporation
Cash flows from financing activities:
Ownership percentage	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%