CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Revenues:
Rental and related revenues	$ 1,071,153,000	$ 1,159,791,000	$ 1,116,830,000
Tenant recoveries	142,496,000	134,280,000	125,022,000
Resident fees and services	524,275,000	686,835,000	525,453,000
Income from direct financing leases	54,217,000	59,580,000	61,000,000
Interest income	56,237,000	88,808,000	112,184,000
Total revenues	1,848,378,000	2,129,294,000	1,940,489,000
Costs and expenses:
Interest expense	307,716,000	464,403,000	479,596,000
Depreciation and amortization	534,726,000	568,108,000	504,905,000
Operating	666,251,000	738,399,000	610,679,000
General and administrative	88,772,000	103,611,000	95,965,000
Transaction costs	7,963,000	9,821,000	27,309,000
Impairments (recoveries), net	166,384,000	0	108,349,000
Total costs and expenses	1,771,812,000	1,884,342,000	1,826,803,000
Other income (expense):
Gain (loss) on sales of real estate, net	356,641,000	164,698,000	6,377,000
Loss on debt extinguishments	(54,227,000)	(46,020,000)	0
Other income (expense), net	31,420,000	3,654,000	16,208,000
Total other income (expense), net	333,834,000	122,332,000	22,585,000
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity income (loss) from unconsolidated joint ventures	410,400,000	367,284,000	136,271,000
Income tax benefit (expense)	1,333,000	(4,473,000)	9,807,000
Equity income (loss) from unconsolidated joint ventures	10,901,000	11,360,000	6,590,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations	422,634,000	374,171,000	152,668,000
Discontinued operations:
Income before impairments, transaction costs and income taxes	0	400,701,000	643,109,000
Impairments, net	0	0	(1,341,399,000)
Transaction costs	0	(86,765,000)	0
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	(48,181,000)	(796,000)
Total discontinued operations	0	265,755,000	(699,086,000)
Net income (loss)	422,634,000	639,926,000	(546,418,000)
Noncontrolling interests' share in earnings	(8,465,000)	(12,179,000)	(12,817,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to HCP, Inc.	414,169,000	627,747,000	(559,235,000)
Participating securities' share in earnings	(1,156,000)	(1,198,000)	(1,317,000)
Net income (loss) applicable to common shares	$ 413,013,000	$ 626,549,000	$ (560,552,000)
Basic earnings per common share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.88	$ 0.77	$ 0.30
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	0.00	0.57	(1.51)
Net income (loss) applicable to common shares (in dollars per share)	0.88	1.34	(1.21)
Diluted earnings per common share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	0.88	0.77	0.30
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	0.00	0.57	(1.51)
Net income (loss) applicable to common shares (in dollars per share)	$ 0.88	$ 1.34	$ (1.21)
Weighted average shares used to calculate earnings per common share:
Basic (in shares)	468,759,000	467,195,000	462,795,000
Diluted (in shares)	468,935,000	467,403,000	462,795,000