Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 8-03 of Article 8 of Regulations S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations for the periods presented have been included. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year. The balance sheet at December 31, 2014, has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. You should read the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements together with the historical consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2014, included in the Annual Report. The Company operates in one business segment. These statements include the accounts of AdCare Health Systems, Inc. and its controlled subsidiaries. Controlled subsidiaries include AdCare’s wholly-owned subsidiaries and one consolidated variable interest entity (a "VIE") in which AdCare has control as primary beneficiary. All inter-company accounts and transactions were eliminated in the consolidation.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported results of operations during the reporting period. Examples of significant estimates include allowance for doubtful accounts; contractual allowances for Medicaid, Medicare, and managed care reimbursements; deferred tax valuation allowance; fair value of employee and nonemployee stock based awards; and valuation of goodwill and other long-lived assets. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Reclassifications	Reclassifications Certain items previously reported in the consolidated financial statement captions have been reclassified to conform to the current financial statement presentation with no effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations. These reclassifications did not affect total assets, total liabilities, or stockholders’ equity. In addition, reclassifications were made to the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, to reflect the same facilities in discontinued operations for both periods presented.
Patient Care Revenue Recognition and Receivables	Patient Care Revenue Recognition and Receivables The Company recognizes patient care revenues when the following four conditions have been met: (i) there is persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists; (ii) delivery has occurred or service has been rendered; (iii) the price is fixed or determinable; and (iv) collection is reasonably assured. The Company's patient care revenues are derived primarily from providing healthcare services to patients or residents and are recognized on the date services are provided at amounts billable to the individual. For reimbursement arrangements with third-party payors including Medicaid, Medicare and private insurers, patient care revenues are recorded based on contractually agreed-upon amounts on a per patient day basis. The Company records patient care revenues from Medicaid and Medicare and managed care programs as services are performed at their expected net realizable amounts under these programs. The Company’s patient care revenues from Medicaid and Medicare and managed care programs are subject to audit and retroactive adjustment by governmental and third-party agencies. Consistent with healthcare industry accounting practices, any changes to these governmental revenue estimates are recorded in the period the change or adjustment becomes known. The Company recorded retroactive losses to patient care revenues of $4,351 and $596,847 reported in discontinued operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively, and $38,747 and $49,826 reported in discontinued operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively. The Company recorded a retroactive gain to patient care revenues of $21,161 reported in continuing operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2014. Potentially uncollectible patient accounts are provided for on the allowance method based upon management's evaluation of outstanding accounts receivable at period-end and historical experience. Uncollected accounts that are written off are charged against allowance. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company has an allowance for uncollectible accounts of $13.0 million and $6.7 million, respectively.
Management Fee Revenue Recognition and Receivables	Management Fee Revenue Recognition and Receivables Management fee revenues and receivables are recorded in the month that services are provided. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company evaluated collectibility of management fees and determined that no allowance was required.
Fair Value Measurements and Financial Instruments	Fair Value Measurements and Financial Instruments Accounting guidance establishes a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The three levels are defined as follows: Level 1— Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities Level 2— Other observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data Level 3— Significant unobservable inputs The respective carrying value of certain financial instruments of the Company approximates their fair value. These instruments include cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, notes receivable, and accounts payable. Fair values were assumed to approximate carrying values for these financial instruments because they are short-term in nature and their carrying amounts approximate fair values, they are receivable or payable on demand, or the interest rates earned and/or paid approximate current market rates.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Except for rules and interpretive releases of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under authority of federal securities laws, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") is the sole source of authoritative GAAP literature recognized by the FASB and applicable to the Company. The Company has reviewed the FASB accounting pronouncements and Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") interpretations that have effectiveness dates during the periods reported and in future periods. In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08, which amends the definition of a discontinued operation to include only those disposals of components of an entity that represent a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results. This ASU should be applied prospectively and is effective for the Company for the 2015 annual and interim reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted for disposals that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued. The Company adopted this ASU January 1, 2015. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09 guidance which requires revenue to be recognized in an amount that reflects the consideration expected to be received in exchange for those goods and services. The new standard requires the disclosure of sufficient quantitative and qualitative information for financial statement users to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and associated cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The new guidance does not affect the recognition of revenue from leases. In August 2015, the FASB delayed the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year. As a result, this new revenue standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those reporting periods. The Company has not yet determined the impact, if any, that the adoption of this new standard will have on its consolidated financial position or results of operations. In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, which provides guidance regarding an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, which requires management to assess a company’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures in certain circumstances. Before this new standard, there was minimal guidance in GAAP specific to going concern. Under the new standard, disclosures are required when conditions give rise to substantial doubt about a company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year from the financial statement issuance date. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period, with early adoption permitted. The Company has not yet determined the impact, if any, that the adoption of this new standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, which requires debt issuance costs to be presented as a direct reduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability, consistent with the presentation of debt discounts. The amortization of debt issuance costs will be reported as interest expense. The new standard is to be applied on a retrospective basis and reported as a change in an accounting principle. In August 2015, the FASB released clarifying guidance for debt issuance costs related to line-of-credit arrangements, which permits debt issuance costs to be presented as an asset, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line-of-credit arrangement. Debt issuance costs associated with a line of credit can be amortized ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement. This standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. The Company is currently evaluating changes in its accounting required by this new standard and the impact to the Company's financial position and related disclosures. In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-16, which requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. Under this guidance the acquirer recognizes, in the same period's financial statements, the effect on earnings of changes in depreciation, amortization, or other income effects, if any, as a result of the change to the provisional amounts, calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. New disclosures are required to present separately on the face of the income statement or disclose in the notes the portion of the amount recognized in current-period earnings by line item that would have been recognized in previous reporting periods if the adjustment to the provisional amounts had been recognized as of the acquisition date. This guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within that reporting period. At adoption, the new guidance is to be applied prospectively to adjustments to provisional amounts that occur after the effective date with earlier application permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. The Company is currently evaluating changes in its accounting required by this new standard and the impact to the Company's financial position and related disclosures.