Borrowings Under Line of Credit Arrangements and Related Items (Details Textual) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013 Number
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Unsecured line of credit arrangement	$ 2,250,000,000
Additional unsecured line of credit arrangement	1,000,000,000
Maximum aggregate commitment	3,250,000,000
Number of banks in consortium	29
Maximum Interest payable period in months	3
Available to borrow in alternate currencies	500,000,000
Agent bank's prime rate of interest	1.35%
Interest Rate margin	1.175%
Annual facility fee for each bank based on commitment amount	0.225%
Unsecured Revolving Demand Note	10,000,000
Unsecured Revolving Demand Note Rate	1.11%
Debt instrument maturity date	Mar. 31, 2017
Balance outstanding at quarter end	847,670,000
United States [Member]
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Agent bank's prime rate of interest	1.36%
Balance outstanding at quarter end	595,000,000
United Kingdom [Member]
Line Of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Agent bank's prime rate of interest	1.67%
Balance outstanding at quarter end	$ 242,670,000

Agent bank's prime rate of interest

No definition available.

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount available to borrow for line of credit arrangement in currencies other than USD.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcn_AvailableInAlternateCurrencies
Namespace Prefix:	hcn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity additional.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcn_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacityAdditional
Namespace Prefix:	hcn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum aggregate commitment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcn_MaximumAggregateCommitment
Namespace Prefix:	hcn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of banks in consortium.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	hcn_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Unsecured Revolving Demand Note

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcn_UnsecuredRevolvingDemandNote
Namespace Prefix:	hcn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Interest rate on unsecured revolving demand note

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcn_UnsecuredRevolvingDemandNoteRate
Namespace Prefix:	hcn_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Date when the debt instrument is scheduled to be fully repaid, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(2))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 129

-Paragraph 2, 4

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 20, 22

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for the line of credit facility regardless of whether the facility has been used.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Description of the frequency of periodic payments, which may be presented in a variety of ways (for example, monthly, quarterly, annually).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 129

-Paragraph 2, 4

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 22

-Article 5

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityLineItems
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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant