Supplemental Guarantor and Non-Guarantor Financial Information (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 37,105	$ 125,968	$ 5,141
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	(19,075)	(11,779)	(19,231)
Proceeds from sale of businesses	508	9,220	146,315
Proceeds from sale of assets	203	0	0
(Payments to) proceeds from affiliate	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(359,435)	(22,335)	(320)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(377,799)	(24,894)	126,764
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	3,231	3,980	7,901
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	119	88	192
Payments of contingent consideration accrued at acquisition date	(1,675)	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of debt	817,525	0	0
Borrowings under revolving credit facility	27,000	0	0
Intercompany dividend	0
Repayment of long-term debt	(610,182)	(52,943)	(63,438)
Debt issuance costs	(15,187)	(4,125)	(15,460)
Investment in affiliate	0
Minority interest capital contribution	1,600	0	0
Majority interest capital contribution	0
Repurchase of common stock	0	(4,974)	0
Repayment of capital lease obligations		(135)	(267)
Distribution to minority interests	(750)	(825)	(673)
Distribution to majority interests	0
Other	(1,082)	(135)	(267)
Net payments related to intercompany financing	0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	220,599	(58,934)	(71,745)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(120,095)	42,140	60,160
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	207,052	164,912	104,752
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	86,957	207,052	164,912
Gentiva Health Services, Inc. [Member]
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by operating activities	(29,406)	(18,089)	(46,730)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0
(Payments to) proceeds from affiliate	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0	0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	3,231	3,980	7,901
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	119	88	192
Payments of contingent consideration accrued at acquisition date	0
Proceeds from issuance of debt	817,525
Borrowings under revolving credit facility	27,000
Intercompany dividend	0
Repayment of long-term debt	(610,182)	(52,943)	(63,438)
Debt issuance costs	(15,187)	(4,125)	(15,460)
Investment in affiliate	0
Minority interest capital contribution	0
Majority interest capital contribution	0
Repurchase of common stock		(4,974)
Repayment of capital lease obligations		(135)	(267)
Distribution to minority interests	0	4,673	0
Distribution to majority interests	0
Other	(889)
Net payments related to intercompany financing	(303,275)	113,564	178,087
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(81,658)	60,128	107,015
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(111,064)	42,039	60,285
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	166,140	124,101	63,816
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	55,076	166,140	124,101
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by operating activities	80,742	138,316	51,221
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	(18,690)	(11,609)	(19,053)
Proceeds from sale of businesses	508	9,220	146,261
Proceeds from sale of assets	203
(Payments to) proceeds from affiliate	(7,400)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(356,935)	(22,335)	(320)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(382,314)	(24,724)	126,888
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0	0
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	0	0	0
Payments of contingent consideration accrued at acquisition date	(1,675)
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0
Borrowings under revolving credit facility	0
Intercompany dividend	0
Repayment of long-term debt	0	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Investment in affiliate	0
Minority interest capital contribution	0
Majority interest capital contribution	0
Repurchase of common stock		0
Repayment of capital lease obligations		0	0
Distribution to minority interests	0	(28)	(22)
Distribution to majority interests	0
Other	(28)
Net payments related to intercompany financing	303,275	(113,564)	(178,087)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	301,572	(113,592)	(178,109)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by operating activities	(10,194)	5,741	650
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	(385)	(170)	(178)
Proceeds from sale of businesses	0	0	54
Proceeds from sale of assets	0
(Payments to) proceeds from affiliate	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(2,500)	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(2,885)	(170)	(124)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0	0
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	0	0	0
Payments of contingent consideration accrued at acquisition date	0
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0
Borrowings under revolving credit facility	0
Intercompany dividend	(2,300)
Repayment of long-term debt	0	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Investment in affiliate	5,000
Minority interest capital contribution	1,600
Majority interest capital contribution	2,400
Repurchase of common stock		0
Repayment of capital lease obligations		0	0
Distribution to minority interests	(750)	(5,470)	(651)
Distribution to majority interests	(1,737)
Other	(165)
Net payments related to intercompany financing	0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	4,048	(5,470)	(651)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(9,031)	101	(125)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	40,912	40,811	40,936
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	31,881	40,912	40,811
Eliminations [Member]
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by operating activities	(4,037)	0	0
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0
(Payments to) proceeds from affiliate	7,400
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	7,400	0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0	0
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	0	0	0
Payments of contingent consideration accrued at acquisition date	0
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0
Borrowings under revolving credit facility	0
Intercompany dividend	2,300
Repayment of long-term debt	0	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Investment in affiliate	(5,000)
Minority interest capital contribution	0
Majority interest capital contribution	(2,400)
Repurchase of common stock		0
Repayment of capital lease obligations		0	0
Distribution to minority interests	0	0	0
Distribution to majority interests	1,737
Other	0
Net payments related to intercompany financing	0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(3,363)	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0