Commitments And Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract]
Commitments And Contingencies	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES We believe that we have operated our business so as to qualify as a REIT under Section 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and we intend to continue to operate in such a manner, but no assurance can be given that we will be able to qualify at all times. We will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, provided that we continue to qualify as a REIT and make distributions to stockholders equal to or in excess of our taxable income. This treatment substantially eliminates the “double taxation” (at the corporate and stockholder levels) that typically applies to corporate dividends. Our failure to continue to qualify under the applicable REIT qualification rules and regulations would cause us to owe state and federal income taxes and would have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Bickford In March 2012, we entered into an agreement with Bickford Senior Living and its affiliates ("Bickford") to construct up to 8 assisted living and memory care facilities over the next three years, with construction of the first facility to begin in the second half of 2012. Each facility is estimated to have 60 beds at a total average cost of $9,000,000 or less. The parties expect to initiate up to three development projects per year over the three-year period. The facilities will be leased to Bickford over 15 years at an initial annual lease rate of 9% plus annual fixed escalators. NHI currently leases eight other assisted living and memory care facilities to Bickford. NHI has agreed to provide a three-year, $3,000,000 revolving credit facility to Bickford to fund the market feasibility and pre-construction costs related to the new development projects. In October 2009, we completed a purchase/leaseback transaction with Bickford for $28,250,000. The purchase price includes $3,000,000 in conditional payments to be made over the following three years based on Bickford’s expected achievement of certain operating financial thresholds. No conditional amounts have been paid as of March 31, 2012. Kentucky River In March 2012, we entered into a long-term lease extension and construction commitment to Jackson Hospital Corporation, an affiliate of Community Health Systems, to provide up to $8,000,000 for extensive renovations and additions to our Kentucky River Medical Center ("Kentucky River"), a general acute care hospital in Jackson, Kentucky. This investment will be added to the lease basis on which the lease amount is calculated. The construction project is expected to commence by the end of 2012 and continue over two years. The lease extension is for an initial period of 10 years beginning July 1, 2012, plus one 5-year renewal option. Legend Healthcare In October 2011, we completed a purchase/leaseback of four skilled nursing facilities in Texas with affiliates of Legend Healthcare, LLC (“Legend”) for $55,278,000 which included contingent consideration of $5,478,000. Legend is eligible for an additional contingent payment of $5,478,000 related to the transaction if they attain certain performance metrics over the next two years, which is probable. Polaris In September 2011, we entered into a agreement with Polaris to provide up to $21,500,000 for the development and construction of a 60-bed acute care hospital in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and as of March 31, 2012, we had funded a total of $9,864,000 toward this commitment. Santé In June 2010, we entered into a construction loan commitment to provide up to $13,870,000 to Santé Mesa, LLC (“Santé”) for the development and construction of a 70-bed transitional rehabilitation hospital with a skilled nursing license in Mesa, Arizona. The facility opened in March 2011. The $13,870,000 includes a remaining $2,000,000 supplemental draw available to the borrower when the facility achieves certain operating metrics. NHI also has the option to purchase and lease back the hospital when it achieves a predetermined level of stabilized net operating income. Helix Healthcare In March 2010, we completed a purchase/leaseback transaction with Helix Healthcare (“Helix”) for $12,500,000. The purchase price was funded with borrowings from our revolving credit facility and includes a conditional payment of $1,000,000 which is expected to be made in 2012. Fundamental As described in Note 2, we have agreed to sell six (five remaining) skilled nursing facilities to our current lessee, Fundamental. We are committed to finance a portion of the purchase price, not to exceed $8,000,000, with individual loans for each facility to be repaid over a term of five years with interest of 11.5% per annum plus annual increases. As of March 31, 2012, in addition to those mentioned above, we had a pending commitment to a lessee to advance $146,000 for equipment purchases and certain capital improvements, which is to be added to the lease basis on which the lease amount is calculated; and a commitment to fund an additional $50,000 on a mortgage note receivable. We believe we have sufficient liquidity and access to capital to fund the commitments described above and to make new investments in health care real estate. The health care facilities in which we have investments of leases or loans are subject to claims and suits in the ordinary course of business. Our lessees and mortgagors have indemnified and will continue to indemnify us against all liabilities arising from the operation of the health care facilities, and will indemnify us against environmental or title problems affecting the real estate underlying such facilities. While there are lawsuits pending against certain of the owners and/or lessees of the health care facilities, management believes that the ultimate resolution of all pending proceedings will have no material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. As previously disclosed, in November 2008, the Company was served with a Civil Investigative Demand by the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General (“OTAG”), which indicated that the OTAG was investigating transactions between the Company and three Tennessee nonprofit corporations. NHI has provided the OTAG with requested information and documents and has been working with the OTAG with respect to this investigation. The investigation has been resolved with respect to one of the nonprofit corporations. Although the transaction is subject to the approval of the OTAG, NHI has entered into agreements to purchase and lease to a third party the facilities owned by a second nonprofit. While NHI has not received any indication that the OTAG will object to the transaction, NHI can give no assurance that the transaction will be approved by the OTAG. A receiver was recently appointed for the third nonprofit. Other than as described above, NHI does not know whether the OTAG will commence any legal proceedings with respect to either of these nonprofit corporations or, if so, what relief will be sought. As previously disclosed, in 2009, Burt Shearer Trustee, as trustee of the Shearer Family Living Trust, filed a shareholder derivative complaint naming as defendants NHI directors W. Andrew Adams, Robert A. McCabe, Jr., Robert T. Webb, and Ted H. Welch and as a nominal defendant NHI. On September 21, 2010, the Court granted a motion to dismiss the complaint, entered a judgment, and dismissed the action with prejudice. Despite that ruling, the Company’s Board received a new demand letter from Mr. Shearer dated October 11, 2010 that again asserted that certain NHI directors and officers breached their fiduciary duties to NHI in connection with its transaction with Care Foundation of America, Inc. (“CFA”). In response, the Company’s Board appointed a special committee that on December 6, 2010 made its report and recommendation to the Board. The Board considered the demand and unanimously accepted the special committee’s recommendation to reject the demand on the basis that pursuing the proposed claims, in whole or in part, would not be in the best interests of the Company. Mr. Shearer was notified of the Board’s determination by letter dated December 13, 2010. On February 3, 2011, Mr. Shearer filed a new derivative shareholder lawsuit (M.D. Tenn. Case No. 3:11-99), making the same claim and allegations as in the action that was dismissed with prejudice. On March 29, 2012, the Court dismissed the new lawsuit with prejudice finding under the doctrine of claim preclusion that the order dismissing the first lawsuit precluded the filing of the second. The time period to appeal has lapsed and Mr. Shearer did not file an appeal of the dismissal of his second lawsuit.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

We believe that we have operated our business so as to qualify as a REIT under Section 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and we intend to continue to operate in such a manner, but no assurance can be given that we will be able to qualify at all times. We will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, provided that we continue to qualify as a REIT and make distributions to stockholders equal to or in excess of our taxable income. This treatment substantially eliminates the “double taxation” (at the corporate and stockholder levels) that typically applies to corporate dividends. Our failure to continue to qualify under the applicable REIT qualification rules and regulations would cause us to owe state and federal income taxes and would have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Bickford

In March 2012, we entered into an agreement with Bickford Senior Living and its affiliates ("Bickford") to construct up to 8 assisted living and memory care facilities over the next three years, with construction of the first facility to begin in the second half of 2012. Each facility is estimated to have 60 beds at a total average cost of $9,000,000 or less. The parties expect to initiate up to three development projects per year over the three-year period. The facilities will be leased to Bickford over 15 years at an initial annual lease rate of 9% plus annual fixed escalators. NHI currently leases eight other assisted living and memory care facilities to Bickford. NHI has agreed to provide a three-year, $3,000,000 revolving credit facility to Bickford to fund the market feasibility and pre-construction costs related to the new development projects.

In October 2009, we completed a purchase/leaseback transaction with Bickford for $28,250,000. The purchase price includes $3,000,000 in conditional payments to be made over the following three years based on Bickford’s expected achievement of certain operating financial thresholds. No conditional amounts have been paid as of March 31, 2012.

Kentucky River

In March 2012, we entered into a long-term lease extension and construction commitment to Jackson Hospital Corporation, an affiliate of Community Health Systems, to provide up to $8,000,000 for extensive renovations and additions to our Kentucky River Medical Center ("Kentucky River"), a general acute care hospital in Jackson, Kentucky. This investment will be added to the lease basis on which the lease amount is calculated. The construction project is expected to commence by the end of 2012 and continue over two years. The lease extension is for an initial period of 10 years beginning July 1, 2012, plus one 5-year renewal option.

Legend Healthcare

In October 2011, we completed a purchase/leaseback of four skilled nursing facilities in Texas with affiliates of Legend Healthcare, LLC (“Legend”) for $55,278,000 which included contingent consideration of $5,478,000. Legend is eligible for an additional contingent payment of $5,478,000 related to the transaction if they attain certain performance metrics over the next two years, which is probable.

Polaris

In September 2011, we entered into a agreement with Polaris to provide up to $21,500,000 for the development and construction of a 60-bed acute care hospital in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and as of March 31, 2012, we had funded a total of $9,864,000 toward this commitment.

Santé

In June 2010, we entered into a construction loan commitment to provide up to $13,870,000 to Santé Mesa, LLC (“Santé”) for the development and construction of a 70-bed transitional rehabilitation hospital with a skilled nursing license in Mesa, Arizona. The facility opened in March 2011. The $13,870,000 includes a remaining $2,000,000 supplemental draw available to the borrower when the facility achieves certain operating metrics. NHI also has the option to purchase and lease back the hospital when it achieves a predetermined level of stabilized net operating income.

Helix Healthcare

In March 2010, we completed a purchase/leaseback transaction with Helix Healthcare (“Helix”) for $12,500,000. The purchase price was funded with borrowings from our revolving credit facility and includes a conditional payment of $1,000,000 which is expected to be made in 2012.

Fundamental

As described in Note 2, we have agreed to sell six (five remaining) skilled nursing facilities to our current lessee, Fundamental. We are committed to finance a portion of the purchase price, not to exceed $8,000,000, with individual loans for each facility to be repaid over a term of five years with interest of 11.5% per annum plus annual increases.

As of March 31, 2012, in addition to those mentioned above, we had a pending commitment to a lessee to advance $146,000 for equipment purchases and certain capital improvements, which is to be added to the lease basis on which the lease amount is calculated; and a commitment to fund an additional $50,000 on a mortgage note receivable.

We believe we have sufficient liquidity and access to capital to fund the commitments described above and to make new investments in health care real estate.

The health care facilities in which we have investments of leases or loans are subject to claims and suits in the ordinary course of business. Our lessees and mortgagors have indemnified and will continue to indemnify us against all liabilities arising from the operation of the health care facilities, and will indemnify us against environmental or title problems affecting the real estate underlying such facilities. While there are lawsuits pending against certain of the owners and/or lessees of the health care facilities, management believes that the ultimate resolution of all pending proceedings will have no material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

As previously disclosed, in November 2008, the Company was served with a Civil Investigative Demand by the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General (“OTAG”), which indicated that the OTAG was investigating transactions between the Company and three Tennessee nonprofit corporations. NHI has provided the OTAG with requested information and documents and has been working with the OTAG with respect to this investigation. The investigation has been resolved with respect to one of the nonprofit corporations. Although the transaction is subject to the approval of the OTAG, NHI has entered into agreements to purchase and lease to a third party the facilities owned by a second nonprofit. While NHI has not received any indication that the OTAG will object to the transaction, NHI can give no assurance that the transaction will be approved by the OTAG. A receiver was recently appointed for the third nonprofit. Other than as described above, NHI does not know whether the OTAG will commence any legal proceedings with respect to either of these nonprofit corporations or, if so, what relief will be sought.

As previously disclosed, in 2009, Burt Shearer Trustee, as trustee of the Shearer Family Living Trust, filed a shareholder derivative complaint naming as defendants NHI directors W. Andrew Adams, Robert A. McCabe, Jr., Robert T. Webb, and Ted H. Welch and as a nominal defendant NHI. On September 21, 2010, the Court granted a motion to dismiss the complaint, entered a judgment, and dismissed the action with prejudice. Despite that ruling, the Company’s Board received a new demand letter from Mr. Shearer dated October 11, 2010 that again asserted that certain NHI directors and officers breached their fiduciary duties to NHI in connection with its transaction with Care Foundation of America, Inc. (“CFA”). In response, the Company’s Board appointed a special committee that on December 6, 2010 made its report and recommendation to the Board. The Board considered the demand and unanimously accepted the special committee’s recommendation to reject the demand on the basis that pursuing the proposed claims, in whole or in part, would not be in the best interests of the Company. Mr. Shearer was notified of the Board’s determination by letter dated December 13, 2010. On February 3, 2011, Mr. Shearer filed a new derivative shareholder lawsuit (M.D. Tenn. Case No. 3:11-99), making the same claim and allegations as in the action that was dismissed with prejudice. On March 29, 2012, the Court dismissed the new lawsuit with prejudice finding under the doctrine of claim preclusion that the order dismissing the first lawsuit precluded the filing of the second. The time period to appeal has lapsed and Mr. Shearer did not file an appeal of the dismissal of his second lawsuit.