Real Estate (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended						0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended									12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended															12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 properties	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013 properties	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 Weatherly Associates [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Weatherly Associates [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Chancellor Healthcare [Member] beds_or_units	Jun. 28, 2013 Care Investment Trust [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2013 Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2011 Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member]	Apr. 30, 2013 Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member] beds_or_units properties	Jan. 31, 2011 Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member]	Apr. 30, 2013 Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member] Canton, TX [Member]	Jun. 28, 2013 Bickford Senior Living [Member] beds_or_units properties	Dec. 31, 2013 Holiday Acquisition Holdings [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2012 Holiday Acquisition Holdings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Holiday Acquisition Holdings [Member] Stated Purchase Price [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 National Healthcare Corporation [Member] renewalOptions properties	Dec. 31, 2012 National Healthcare Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 National Healthcare Corporation [Member]	Aug. 30, 2013 National Healthcare Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 National Healthcare Corporation [Member] Assets Held-for-sale [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 National Healthcare Corporation [Member] Assets Held-for-sale [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 National Healthcare Corporation [Member] Assets Held-for-sale [Member]	Aug. 31, 2013 National Healthcare Corporation [Member] Assets Held-for-sale [Member] properties	Aug. 30, 2013 Elder Trust [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2013 Bickford Senior Living [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2012 Bickford Senior Living [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Bickford Senior Living [Member]	Jun. 28, 2013 Bickford Senior Living [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Halcyon Village [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Discovery Regency Pointe [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Discovery Regency Pointe [Member] renewalOptions	Dec. 31, 2013 Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2012 Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Weatherly Associates [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Weatherly Associates [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Weatherly Associates [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Housing Community [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2013 Independent Living Facility [Member] National Healthcare Corporation [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2013 Skilled Nursing Facility [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2013 Skilled Nursing Facility [Member] National Healthcare Corporation [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2013 Medical Office Building [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2013 Hospital [Member] properties	Jun. 30, 2013 Bickford Senior Living [Member] properties	Jun. 28, 2013 Bickford Senior Living [Member] beds_or_units	Dec. 31, 2013 Transaction Costs Capitalized [Member] Holiday Acquisition Holdings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Bickford Development Properties [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2013 Bickford Development Properties [Member] Bickford Senior Living [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Subleased Facilities [Member] Skilled Nursing Facility [Member] National Healthcare Corporation [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2013 Prior To Sale Of Properties [Member] National Healthcare Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 After Sale Of Properties [Member] National Healthcare Corporation [Member]	Aug. 30, 2013 Vacant Building [Member] Elder Trust [Member] properties	Dec. 31, 2013 Debt Instrument, Name, 4.5 Year Term Loan [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Development Commitment [Member] Chancellor Healthcare [Member] beds_or_units
Number of Real Estate Properties	157								157						14	3		2			3	25			42							6	7	29							2						91	3	61	39	2	3	17					4			1
Significant Acquisition, Cost, Receivable Cancelled																																	$ 13,741,000
Significant acquisitions and disposals, acquisition costs or sale proceeds													5,315,000	9,000,000		18,500,000			4,500,000					491,000,000									37,417,000					15,300,000		12,000,000															1,959,000
Land	91,770,000				58,869,000				91,770,000	58,869,000													21,700,000
Buildings and Improvements, Gross																						471,259,000
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Revenue of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual									5,258,000
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Earnings or Loss of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual									363,000
Real Estate, Assets Held For Sale, Sales Price																																21,000,000
Assets held for sale, net	0				1,611,000				0	1,611,000																				1,611,000
Gain on sale of real estate									22,258,000	11,966,000	3,348,000																		19,370,000
Asset Purchase Transaction Costs																													19,000
Minimum Annual Lease Income																									3,450,000																																		33,700,000	30,750,000
Lease Extension Period in Years									10 years 0 months 0 days																5 years 0 months 0 days
Lease Renewal Period In Years																		5 years 0 months 0 days							5 years 0 months 0 days															5 years 0 months 0 days
Significant Acquisition, Cost, Cash																		26,150,000															23,676,000
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability																		1,600,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment															124,549,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Financial Liabilities															80,528,000
Number of States in which Entity Operates	30								30													12
Nonportfolio Assets, Original Cost	882,000								882,000
Real Estate Investment Property, Portfolio Assets	1,421,120,000								1,421,120,000
Number of Lessees	23								23
Revenues	32,790,000	30,845,000	27,089,000	27,104,000	25,870,000	23,396,000	20,916,000	23,135,000	117,828,000	93,317,000	83,739,000
Operating Leases, Income Statement, Lease Revenue									106,029,000	81,482,000	72,608,000														34,756,000	33,056,000	32,619,000							14,586,000	5,164,000	4,235,000
Percentage of Continuing Revenue																									29.00%	35.00%	39.00%							12.00%	6.00%	5.00%
Percentage Rent Rate																									0.04
Purchase Option Amount																									49,000,000
Percentage rent											2,090,000														3,021,000	2,527,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid															44,021,000
Number of Units in Real Estate Property														63				254			107																	76		120														750									46
Number of years in initial lease term														7 years 0 months 0 days	5 years 0 months 0 days			10				17 years 0 months 0 days						15 years 0 months 0 days										15		15 years 0 months 0 days																							15 years 0 months 0 days
Initial Lease Amount															9,750,000						9,086,000	31,915,000			350,000									18,836,000			7,750,000	1,140,000		942,000
Development Projects, Number Completed During Period																																																								2
Lease Escalator Rate, From Lease Year 1 to Lease Year 3																						4.50%
Lease Escalator Rate, After Lease Year 3																						3.50%
Term Loans, Outstanding Balance																																																														250,000,000
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues									5,175,000
Proceeds from equity offering, net									282,542,000	0	0
Equity Issuance Costs									12,500,000
Real estate purchase liabilities	2,600,000				4,256,000				2,600,000	4,256,000																													2,500,000
Asset Purchase Portion Of Significant Acquisition																					12,910,000
Initial lease rate														8.00%				9.00%																																						9.00%							9.00%
Capital Improvements Commitment														500,000
Number of additional lease renewal options																		3							2															3
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired															100.00%					100.00%
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Land															4,360,000					420,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Buildings															120,189,000					11,659,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Equipment																				671,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Transaction Costs															63,000					147,000
Joint Venture Contributed Properties Ownership Interest Retained																																		85.00%
Joint Venture Contributed Properties Ownership Interest Surrendered																																		15.00%
Number Of Development Projects Active																																																								1
Joint Venture Operating Company Ownership Interest Received																																		85.00%
Maximum Commitment For All Active Development Projects																																																								9,000,000							7,500,000
Construction and Development Costs																																																								17,796,000	2,712,000
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Revenue																													2,294,000	3,368,000	3,377,000										3,316,000	3,231,000	3,067,000	353,000	403,000	403,000
Carrying Value Of Assets Sold												$ 3,591,000				$ 17,068,000	$ 4,039,000