Net Investment in Direct Financing Leases (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended						3 Months Ended										0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014 item	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013 item	Mar. 31, 2014 Performing DFLs	Mar. 31, 2014 Watch List DFLs	Mar. 31, 2014 Senior housing	Mar. 31, 2014 Senior housing DFL Portfolio	Mar. 31, 2013 Senior housing DFL Portfolio	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior housing DFL Portfolio	Sep. 30, 2013 Senior housing DFL Portfolio item	Mar. 31, 2014 Senior housing Performing DFLs	Mar. 31, 2014 Senior housing Watch List DFLs	Mar. 31, 2014 Post-acute/skilled nursing	Mar. 31, 2014 Post-acute/skilled nursing Performing DFLs	Mar. 31, 2014 Hospital	Mar. 31, 2014 Hospital Performing DFLs	Apr. 02, 2014 HCR ManorCare	Mar. 31, 2014 HCR ManorCare item	Mar. 31, 2014 HCR ManorCare item	Dec. 31, 2013 HCR ManorCare	Mar. 31, 2014 HCR ManorCare Minimum	Mar. 31, 2014 HCR ManorCare Maximum
Acquisition
Minimum lease payments receivable	$ 24,666,528,000		$ 24,808,386,000															$ 23,400,000,000	$ 23,400,000,000	$ 23,500,000,000
Rent receivable from triple-net lease with HCR ManorCare																	524,000,000		506,000,000
Rate of increase in minimum lease revenue per year over each of the next 3 years (as a percent)																		3.50%
Remaining specified period of the initial lease term during which the minimum lease revenue increases by a specified percentage per year																		2 years
Rate of increase in minimum lease revenue per year for remaining years of lease term (as a percent)																		3.00%
Number of asset pools																		4	4
Rate of increase in rent receivable for first year of extension option (as a percent)																		3.00%
Total initial available term of asset pools																					23 years	35 years
Estimated residual values	4,134,405,000		4,134,405,000
Less unearned income	(21,610,533,000)		(21,789,392,000)
Net investment in direct financing leases	7,190,400,000		7,153,399,000	6,817,008,000	373,392,000	1,484,656,000	373,000,000		374,000,000	376,000,000	1,111,264,000	373,392,000	5,581,853,000	5,581,853,000	123,891,000	123,891,000
Percentage of DFL Portfolio	100.00%					21.00%							77.00%		2.00%
Properties subject to direct financing leases	364		364							14
DFL income	164,537,000	156,870,000					4,900,000	7,000,000
Cash proceeds from DFL portfolio							$ 5,800,000	$ 5,800,000