BORROWING ARRANGEMENTS - Unsecured Borrowings - $200 Million 7.5% Senior Notes due 2020 (Narrative) (Detail 5) (USD $)							12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended									12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 Property	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries	Dec. 31, 2012 7.50% Notes due 2020	Dec. 31, 2012 Initial 2022 Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings 7.50% Notes due 2020	Feb. 09, 2010 Unsecured Borrowings 7.50% Notes due 2020	Dec. 31, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings 7.50% Notes due 2020 December 22, 2009 CapitalSource acquisition	Dec. 31, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings 7.50% Notes due 2020 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Facility	Dec. 31, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings 7.50% Notes due 2020 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries HUD Portfolio Closing Property	Dec. 31, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings 7.50% Notes due 2020 Redemption during 12 months period beginning on February 15, 2015	Dec. 31, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings 7.50% Notes due 2020 Redemption during 12 months period beginning on February 15, 2016	Dec. 31, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings 7.50% Notes due 2020 Redemption during 12 months period beginning on February 15, 2017	Dec. 31, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings 7.50% Notes due 2020 Redemption on or after February 15, 2018	Jun. 02, 2011 Unsecured Borrowings Exchange notes	Oct. 20, 2010 Unsecured Borrowings Exchange notes	Dec. 31, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings Initial 2022 Notes	Oct. 04, 2010 Unsecured Borrowings Initial 2022 Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings Initial 2022 Notes Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Facility	Mar. 27, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings 7% Senior Notes due 2016	Mar. 19, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings 7% Senior Notes due 2016	Mar. 05, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings 7% Senior Notes due 2016	Dec. 31, 2012 Unsecured Borrowings 7% Senior Notes due 2016 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Facility
Borrowing Arrangements [Line Items]
Long-term borrowing amount					$ 200,000,000	$ 575,000,000	$ 200,000,000	$ 200,000,000										$ 575,000,000	$ 225,000,000			$ 168,900,000	$ 175,000,000
Current Rate	10.00%						7.50%	7.50%										6.75%	6.75%			7.00%	7.00%
Redemption price percentage												103.75%	102.50%	101.25%	100.00%						102.333%
Maximum percentage of redeemable notes							35.00%											35.00%
Redemption price if redeemed in the first three years (in percent)							107.50%											106.75%
Redemption price if the company undergoes change of control (in percent)							101.00%											101.00%
Notes issued, issue price (in percent)							98.278%											98.984%
Proceeds of issuance of notes payable							197,000,000											223,000,000
Repayments of debt									59,000,000
Number of facilities owned	478										40
Number of HUD facilities acquired on October 31, 2011 and on December 23, 2011										18										18				18
Total assets	2,982,005,000	2,557,312,000	597,896,000	477,292,000						597,900,000										597,900,000
Notes issuable in exchange, face amount																$ 575,000,000	$ 200,000,000
Notes issuable in exchange, interest rate																6.75%	7.50%