Schedule IV - Mortgage Loans on Real Estate (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified			12 Months Ended																						1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2011 First Mortgage [Member] Manchester, NH [Member] Skilled Nursing Facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 First Mortgage [Member] Taunton, MA [Member] Skilled Nursing Facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 First Mortgage [Member] Greenfield, MA [Member] Skilled Nursing Facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 First Mortgage [Member] Haysville, KS [Member] Skilled Nursing Facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 First Mortgage [Member] Council Grove, KS [Member] Skilled Nursing Facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 First Mortgage [Member] Joplin, MO [Member] Skilled Nursing Facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 First Mortgage [Member] St. Charles, MO [Member] Skilled Nursing Facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 First Mortgage [Member] Virginia Beach, VA [Member] Skilled Nursing Facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 First Mortgage [Member] Grundy, VA [Member] Skilled Nursing Facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 First Mortgage [Member] Others with carrying amounts less than 3% of total carrying amount of mortgages [Member] Skilled Nursing Facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 First Mortgage [Member] Owatonna, MN [Member] Assisted Living Facility [Member]		Jul. 31, 2011 Second Mortgage Loan [Member]	May 31, 2010 Second Mortgage Loan [Member]	Mar. 31, 2010 Second Mortgage Loan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Second Mortgage Loan [Member] Others with carrying amounts less than 3% of total carrying amount of mortgages [Member] Assisted Living Facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 Second Mortgage Loan [Member] Ocala, FL [Member] Assisted Living Facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 Construction Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Construction Loans [Member] Mesa, Arizona [Member] Transitional Rehab Center [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Interest Rate			6.90%	[1]	6.90%	[1]	6.90%	[1]									8.00%	[1]	8.00%	[1]			7.47%	[1]	13.00%	14.00%	14.00%	12.00%	[1]	13.00%	[1]	10.00%	10.00%	[1]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Interest Rate Range									3.0% - 8.5%	[1],[2]	3.0% - 8.5%	[1],[2]	3.0% - 8.5%	[1],[2]	3.0% - 8.5%	[1],[2]					3.0% - 9.6%	[1]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Final Maturity Date Year			2012	[1]	2012	[1]	2012	[1]	2014	[1],[2]	2014	[1],[2]	2014	[1],[2]	2014	[1],[2]	2031	[1]	2032	[1]	2011 - 2032	[1]	2018	[1]				2014	[1]	2014	[1]		2015	[1]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Periodic Payment Terms			$69,000	[1]	$69,000	[1]	$62,000	[1]	Interest Only	[1],[2]	Interest Only	[1],[2]	Interest Only	[1],[2]	Interest Only	[1],[2]	$27,000	[1]	$30,000	[1]			$38,000	[1]						Interest Only	[1]		Interest Only	[1]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Prior Liens	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]				$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]		$ 0	[1]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Face Amount of Mortgages			9,006	[1]	9,006	[1]	8,105	[1]	5,884	[1],[2]	2,860	[1],[2]	3,800	[1],[2]	3,694	[1],[2]	3,814	[1]	4,396	[1]			5,033	[1]						2,500	[1]		13,870	[1]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Carrying Amount of Mortgages	78,672	[1]	3,690	[1]	3,690	[1]	3,321	[1]	4,743	[1],[2]	2,413	[1],[2]	2,935	[1],[2]	3,050	[1],[2]	2,994	[1]	3,300	[1]	29,557	[1]	3,809	[1]				800	[1]	2,500	[1]		11,870	[1]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Principal Amount of Delinquent Loans	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]				$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]		$ 0	[1]

[1] See Note 4 to Consolidated Financial Statements for more information on our mortgage loan receivables.

[2] (2) The Company has a first mortgage receivable on 8 properties with an original amount of $26,293,000 and current carrying value of $21,337,000. The notes on these properties are separated into individual notes per property with Note A in the aggregate original amount of $16,513,000 (carrying value $11,557,000) at 8.5% and Note B in the aggregate original amount of $9,780,000 is at 3% with all principal and interest due at maturity. All notes on the 8 properties are cross-collateralized.