Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended						3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2013 HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2012 HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2013 HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2012 HCR ManorCare	Dec. 31, 2012 HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating segment	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating segment	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating segment Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living item	Sep. 30, 2012 Operating segment Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating segment Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living item	Sep. 30, 2012 Operating segment Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating segment Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living item	Sep. 30, 2013 Total Assets Operators Emeritus	Dec. 31, 2012 Total Assets Operators Emeritus	Sep. 30, 2013 Total Assets Operators Sunrise Senior Living	Dec. 31, 2012 Total Assets Operators Sunrise Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Total Assets Operators HCR ManorCare	Dec. 31, 2012 Total Assets Operators HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2013 Total Assets Operators Brookdale Senior Living	Dec. 31, 2012 Total Assets Operators Brookdale Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Total Assets Operators Operating segment Senior housing Emeritus	Dec. 31, 2012 Total Assets Operators Operating segment Senior housing Emeritus	Sep. 30, 2013 Total Assets Operators Operating segment Senior housing Sunrise Senior Living	Dec. 31, 2012 Total Assets Operators Operating segment Senior housing Sunrise Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Total Assets Operators Operating segment Senior housing HCR ManorCare	Dec. 31, 2012 Total Assets Operators Operating segment Senior housing HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2013 Total Assets Operators Operating segment Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Dec. 31, 2012 Total Assets Operators Operating segment Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Total Assets Operators Operating segment Post-acute/skilled HCR ManorCare	Dec. 31, 2012 Total Assets Operators Operating segment Post-acute/skilled HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Emeritus	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Emeritus	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Emeritus	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Emeritus	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Sunrise Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Sunrise Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Sunrise Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Sunrise Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Brookdale Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Brookdale Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Brookdale Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Brookdale Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing Emeritus	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing Emeritus	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing Emeritus	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing Emeritus	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing Sunrise Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing Sunrise Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing Sunrise Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing Sunrise Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Operating segment Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Operating segment Post-acute/skilled HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Operating segment Post-acute/skilled HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2013 Revenue Operators Operating segment Post-acute/skilled HCR ManorCare	Sep. 30, 2012 Revenue Operators Operating segment Post-acute/skilled HCR ManorCare
Concentration of Credit Risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)																						14.60%	14.30%	6.80%	6.70%	32.10%	31.50%	4.20%	4.10%	37.30%	37.30%	17.20%	17.50%	11.00%	11.00%	10.60%	10.70%	88.10%	89.30%	34.80%	20.30%	34.60%	20.50%	11.50%	15.60%	12.20%	15.70%	9.60%	11.70%	9.50%	11.80%	11.70%	14.40%	11.60%	14.20%	12.20%	6.60%	12.60%	6.70%	4.00%	5.00%	4.40%	5.20%	27.00%	30.70%	28.00%	31.20%	4.10%	4.70%	4.20%	4.70%	72.70%	87.20%	81.30%	90.90%
Concentration risk, assets																	$ 778,000,000		$ 778,000,000		$ 759,000,000
Concentration risk, revenue																	37,600,000	36,100,000	112,000,000	106,800,000
Number of senior living communities operated in a RIDEA structure																	21		21		21
Percentage of operator assets to segment assets after inclusion of assets under RIDEA structure																																				21.00%	21.00%
Percentage of operator assets to total entity assets after inclusion of assets under RIDEA structure																												8.00%	8.00%
Percentage of operator revenue to segment revenue after inclusion of revenue under RIDEA structure																																																																				31.00%	38.00%	31.00%	38.00%
Percentage of operator revenue to total entity revenue after inclusion of revenue under RIDEA structure																																																				11.00%	12.00%	11.00%	12.00%
Balance Sheets:
Real estate and other property, net	10,699,853,000			10,699,853,000			10,739,567,000			3,008,700,000		3,008,700,000		3,046,600,000
Cash and cash equivalents	49,414,000		96,476,000	49,414,000		96,476,000	247,673,000		33,506,000	158,500,000		158,500,000		120,500,000
Goodwill, intangible and other assets, net	835,997,000			835,997,000			788,520,000			5,563,700,000		5,563,700,000		5,625,400,000
Total assets	19,889,509,000	[1]		19,889,509,000	[1]		19,915,555,000	[1]		8,730,900,000		8,730,900,000		8,792,500,000	19,086,378,000	18,934,010,000
Debt and financing obligations										6,289,000,000		6,289,000,000		6,374,600,000
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other	303,966,000			303,966,000			293,994,000			1,021,800,000		1,021,800,000		1,021,900,000
Total equity	10,850,237,000		9,727,853,000	10,850,237,000		9,727,853,000	10,753,777,000		9,220,622,000	1,420,100,000		1,420,100,000		1,396,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	19,889,509,000			19,889,509,000			19,915,555,000			8,730,900,000		8,730,900,000		8,792,500,000
Income Statements:
Revenues	543,958,000		468,066,000	1,563,292,000		1,370,999,000				1,030,300,000	1,037,800,000	3,131,700,000	3,113,300,000
Operating, general and administrative expense										(888,100,000)	(880,800,000)	(2,677,400,000)	(2,663,700,000)
Depreciation and amortization expense	(104,859,000)		(87,170,000)	(317,430,000)		(254,463,000)				(36,300,000)	(41,600,000)	(110,000,000)	(125,200,000)
Interest expense	(108,088,000)		(103,355,000)	(326,094,000)		(309,399,000)				(103,800,000)	(105,200,000)	(312,300,000)	(317,300,000)
Other income, net	1,584,000		770,000	16,887,000		2,232,000				2,300,000	3,700,000	4,000,000	10,100,000
Income before income taxes										4,400,000	13,900,000	36,000,000	17,200,000
Income taxes	(1,033,000)		602,000	(3,563,000)		1,145,000				(1,800,000)	(4,800,000)	(11,600,000)	(4,700,000)
Net income	236,858,000		199,043,000	687,367,000		600,582,000				2,600,000	9,100,000	24,400,000	12,500,000
Credit Enhancement Guarantee
Third party debt collateralized by facilities, debt amount (maturing in May 1, 2025)	113,000,000			113,000,000
Third party debt collateralized by facilities, asset carrying amount (maturing in May 1, 2025)	$ 376,000,000			$ 376,000,000

[1] The Company's consolidated total assets at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, include assets of certain variable interest entities ("VIEs") that can only be used to settle the liabilities of those VIEs. At September 30, 2013: $1.5 million, other assets, net. At December 31, 2012: accounts receivable, net, $2 million; cash and cash equivalents, $10 million; and other assets, net, $2 million, respectively. See Note 16 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.