CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Assets
Net real estate investments	$ 20,314,263	$ 20,578,039
Cash and cash equivalents	57,322	53,023	$ 60,532		$ 55,348
Escrow deposits and restricted cash	65,626	77,896
Investment in and advances to affiliates	0	0
Goodwill	1,043,479	1,047,497
Assets held for sale	195,271	93,060
Other assets	417,511	412,403
Total assets	22,093,472	22,261,918
Liabilities:
Senior notes payable and other debt	10,901,131	11,206,996
Intercompany loans	0	0
Accrued interest	80,157	80,864
Accounts payable and other liabilities	735,287	779,380
Liabilities related to assets held for sale	88,967	34,340
Deferred income taxes	320,468	338,382
Total liabilities	12,126,010	12,439,962
Redeemable OP unitholder and noncontrolling interests	217,686	196,529
Total equity	9,749,776	9,625,427			8,754,397
Total liabilities and equity	22,093,472	22,261,918
Consolidated Elimination
Assets
Net real estate investments	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0		0
Escrow deposits and restricted cash	0	0
Investment in and advances to affiliates	(16,535,916)	(16,534,826)
Goodwill	0	0
Assets held for sale	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(16,535,916)	(16,534,826)
Liabilities:
Senior notes payable and other debt	0	0
Intercompany loans	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0
Accounts payable and other liabilities	0	0
Liabilities related to assets held for sale	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Total liabilities	0	0
Redeemable OP unitholder and noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(16,535,916)	(16,534,826)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (16,535,916)	(16,534,826)
Nationwide Health Properties
Condensed financial statements, captions
Ownership percentage	100.00%
Ventas, Inc.
Assets
Net real estate investments	$ 2,064	5,798
Cash and cash equivalents	12,997	11,733	11,718		24,857
Escrow deposits and restricted cash	198	7,154
Investment in and advances to affiliates	12,990,733	12,989,643
Goodwill	0	0
Assets held for sale	4	0
Other assets	17,436	17,869
Total assets	13,023,432	13,032,197
Liabilities:
Senior notes payable and other debt	0	0
Intercompany loans	7,422,323	7,294,158
Accrued interest	0	0
Accounts payable and other liabilities	87,236	68,604
Liabilities related to assets held for sale	0	0
Deferred income taxes	320,468	338,382
Total liabilities	7,830,027	7,701,144
Redeemable OP unitholder and noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	5,193,405	5,331,053
Total liabilities and equity	$ 13,023,432	13,032,197
Ventas Realty
Condensed financial statements, captions
Ownership percentage	100.00%
Assets
Net real estate investments	$ 180,747	195,015
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0		0
Escrow deposits and restricted cash	1,386	1,644
Investment in and advances to affiliates	3,545,183	3,545,183
Goodwill	0	0
Assets held for sale	1,619	4,488
Other assets	2,752	4,182
Total assets	3,731,687	3,750,512
Liabilities:
Senior notes payable and other debt	8,103,863	8,370,670
Intercompany loans	(6,262,696)	(6,571,512)
Accrued interest	63,836	64,561
Accounts payable and other liabilities	43,320	45,226
Liabilities related to assets held for sale	1,559	44
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Total liabilities	1,949,882	1,908,989
Redeemable OP unitholder and noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,781,805	1,841,523
Total liabilities and equity	3,731,687	3,750,512
Ventas Subsidiaries
Assets
Net real estate investments	20,131,452	20,377,226
Cash and cash equivalents	44,325	41,290	$ 48,814		$ 30,491
Escrow deposits and restricted cash	64,042	69,098
Investment in and advances to affiliates	0	0
Goodwill	1,043,479	1,047,497
Assets held for sale	193,648	88,572
Other assets	397,323	390,352
Total assets	21,874,269	22,014,035
Liabilities:
Senior notes payable and other debt	2,797,268	2,836,326
Intercompany loans	(1,159,627)	(722,646)
Accrued interest	16,321	16,303
Accounts payable and other liabilities	604,731	665,550
Liabilities related to assets held for sale	87,408	34,296
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Total liabilities	2,346,101	2,829,829
Redeemable OP unitholder and noncontrolling interests	217,686	196,529
Total equity	19,310,482	18,987,677
Total liabilities and equity	$ 21,874,269	$ 22,014,035
Ventas Capital Corporation
Condensed financial statements, captions
Ownership percentage	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%