Acquisitions and Dispositions (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended				0 Months Ended				12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Nov. 30, 2012 Banner Health [Member]	May 31, 2012 MP Healthcare Partners [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Home Health [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Home Health [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Home Health [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Home Health [Member] Louisiana [Member] Branch	Dec. 31, 2013 Home Health and Hospice [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Home Health and Hospice [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Home Health and Hospice [Member] Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Hospice [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Hospice [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Hospice [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Hospice [Member] Louisiana [Member] Branch	Dec. 31, 2013 Community Care [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Community Care [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Community Care [Member]	Oct. 18, 2013 Harden Healthcare Holdings Inc. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Harden Healthcare Holdings Inc. [Member]	Oct. 18, 2013 Harden Healthcare Holdings Inc. [Member] UNITED STATES	Oct. 18, 2013 Harden Healthcare Holdings Inc. [Member] Home Health [Member]	Oct. 18, 2013 Harden Healthcare Holdings Inc. [Member] Hospice [Member]	Oct. 18, 2013 Harden Healthcare Holdings Inc. [Member] Community Care [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Appalachian Regional Health Systems [Member] NORTH CAROLINA	Aug. 23, 2013 Wake Forest Baptist Health Care at Home, LLC [Member] NORTH CAROLINA	Apr. 30, 2013 Hope Hospice Inc [Member] INDIANA	Aug. 31, 2012 Family Home Care [Member] WASHINGTON & IDAHO [Domain]	Dec. 31, 2013 North Mississippi Hospice [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 North Mississippi Hospice [Member] MISSISSIPPI	Jul. 22, 2012 Advocate Hospice Llc [Member] INDIANA	Sep. 30, 2013 Advocate Hospice Llc [Member] INDIANA	Jun. 30, 2013 Advocate Hospice Llc [Member] INDIANA	Dec. 31, 2012 Advocate Hospice Llc [Member] INDIANA	Apr. 29, 2011 Odyssey HealthCare of Augusta, LLC [Member] GEORGIA	Sep. 10, 2011 Discontinued Operations [Member] Rehab Without Walls [Member]	Oct. 14, 2011 Discontinued Operations [Member] Homemaker Services Agency [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Discontinued Operations [Member] Homemaker Services Agency [Member]	Aug. 23, 2013 Cash [Member] Wake Forest Baptist Health Care at Home, LLC [Member] NORTH CAROLINA	Aug. 23, 2013 Other Assets [Member] Wake Forest Baptist Health Care at Home, LLC [Member] NORTH CAROLINA
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Name of Acquired Entity																														Harden Healthcare Holdings, Inc				Appalachian Regional Health Systems	Wake Forest Baptist Health Care at Home, LLC	Hope Hospice, Inc.	Family Home Care Corporation		North Mississippi Hospice	Advocate Hospice				Odyssey HealthCare of Augusta, LLC
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition																														Oct. 18, 2013				Sep. 30, 2013	Aug. 23, 2013	Apr. 30, 2013	Aug. 31, 2012		Aug. 31, 2012	Jul. 22, 2012				Apr. 29, 2011
Purchase price									$ 6,100,000																			$ 426,800,000		$ 426,800,000				$ 2,700,000	$ 2,400,000	$ 1,000,000	$ 12,300,000		$ 4,700,000	$ 5,500,000				$ 300,000
Cost of acquired entity, cash paid																												365,000,000						2,100,000
Issuance of stock in connection with Harden acquisition, value									53,750,000																			53,800,000
Contingent consideration arrangements, range of outcomes, value, high																												9,500,000												2,000,000
Contingent consideration, liability																												8,100,000												(1,900,000)			1,100,000
Change in Amount of Contingent Consideration, Liability																																										(900,000)	800,000
Goodwill	390,081,000				656,364,000				390,081,000	656,364,000	641,669,000			123,500,000	9,000,000						150,000,000	647,300,000			116,600,000			331,482,000			111,700,000	103,100,000	116,600,000
Business Acquisition,Goodwill, Expected tax Deductible Percent																												20.00%
Net revenues	486,137,000	410,492,000	414,424,000	415,591,000	425,017,000	424,444,000	427,691,000	435,652,000	1,726,644,000	1,712,804,000	1,798,778,000			965,848,000	948,019,000	1,012,566,000					715,190,000	764,785,000	786,212,000		45,606,000	0	0		92,600,000
Net (loss) income attributable to Gentiva shareholders									(598,994,000)	26,796,000	(450,525,000)																		7,900,000
Weighted average cash interest rate on outstanding borrowings	7.70%				8.20%				7.70%	8.20%
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma, Effective Tax Rate											40.00%
Payments to Acquire Interest in Subsidiaries and Affiliates																																																2,200,000	200,000
Escrow Fund Liability																																		600,000								500,000
Reduction in Escrow Fund Payable																																						200,000
Payments for Previous Acquisition									1,675,000	0	0																														200,000	1,500,000
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent																																			60.00%
Dispositions [Abstract]
Total consideration from sale of business												3,500,000	300,000							6,400,000																									9,800,000	2,400,000
Gain (loss) on sale of business					2,600,000		5,400,000		0	8,014,000	1,061,000	2,600,000
Number of branches sold																	8							4
Proceeds from sale of businesses									508,000	9,220,000	146,315,000								5,900,000																										9,200,000	2,000,000
Receivables from business dispositions																		500,000
Escrow fund					10,600,000					10,600,000	10,600,000																																		600,000	400,000
Reduction in escrow fund receivable										$ 700,000																																					$ 300,000