Real Estate Property Investments (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended						3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013 Senior housing, life science and medical office	Jun. 30, 2012 Senior housing, life science and medical office	Jun. 30, 2013 Senior housing	Jun. 30, 2013 Post-acute/skilled acre	Jun. 30, 2012 Life science	Jun. 30, 2012 Hospital acre	Mar. 31, 2013 Blackstone JV Senior housing item	Dec. 31, 2012 Blackstone JV Senior housing item	Jun. 30, 2012 Blackstone JV Senior housing	Mar. 31, 2013 Blackstone JV Senior housing item	Jun. 30, 2012 Blackstone JV Senior housing	Mar. 31, 2013 Blackstone JV Senior housing Emeritus Corporation item	Dec. 31, 2012 Blackstone JV Senior housing Emeritus Corporation Real Estate Secured item	Mar. 31, 2013 Blackstone JV Senior housing Minimum Emeritus Corporation	Mar. 31, 2013 Blackstone JV Senior housing Maximum Emeritus Corporation	Mar. 31, 2013 Blackstone JV Senior housing Assisted living	Mar. 31, 2013 Blackstone JV Senior housing Independent living	Mar. 31, 2013 Blackstone JV Senior housing Memory care	Mar. 31, 2013 Blackstone JV Senior housing Skilled nursing
Acquisition
Acquisition of facility			$ 18,000,000	$ 408,000	$ 8,000,000	$ 3,000,000	$ 38,000,000	$ 1,700,000,000		$ 38,000,000
Consideration, Cash Paid							1,730,000,000			1,730,000,000
Assets Acquired, Real Estate							1,570,000,000			1,570,000,000
Assets Acquired, Net Intangibles							174,000,000			174,000,000
Number of senior housing communities							4	129		133			9
Number of individual leases												5
Number of properties operated pursuant to a new triple-net master lease												128
Number of states where acquired senior housing communities are located							29			29
Percentage of units of real estate property																61.00%	25.00%	13.00%	1.00%
Number of communities that are stabilized							99			99
Number of communities currently lease-up							34			34		34
Number of stages for acquisition to close										2
Liabilities assumed							13,000,000			13,000,000
Consideration, Debt and Other Liabilities Assumed							4,000,000			4,000,000
Rental and related revenues												105,800,000
Rate of increase in minimum lease revenue per year on average over the initial 5 years of the lease (as a percent)												3.70%
Initial lease term with Emeritus Corporation												5 years
Rate of increase in minimum lease revenue per year for remaining years of lease term (as a percent)												3.00%
Percentage of operating leases basis spread on variable floor rate												103.00%
Percentage of operating leases basis spread on variable cap rate												130.00%
Number of asset pools												3
Initial available term of asset pools														14 years	16 years
Number of extension options with Emeritus Corporation												2
Total initial available term of asset pools														30 years	35 years
Principal amount of secured debt													52,000,000
Term of loan													4 years
Interest rate on debt, initially (as a percent)													6.10%
Interest rate on debt after four year term (as a percent)													6.80%
Price paid upon exercise of purchase option			16,000,000
Land acquired (in acres)				38		13
Payments to acquire productive assets	76,000,000	79,000,000
Unaudited pro forma consolidated results of operations
Revenues									486,865,000		968,247,000
Net income									212,380,000		416,349,000
Net income applicable to HCP, Inc.									$ 209,429,000		$ 410,214,000
Basic earnings per common share (in dollars per share)									$ 0.47		$ 0.90
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)									$ 0.47		$ 0.90