Supplemental Guarantor and Non-Guarantor Financial Information (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash used in operating activities	$ (17,743)	$ (20,560)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	(3,158)	(2,698)
Proceeds from the sale of assets	191	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,967)	(2,698)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	597	992
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	6	72
Repayment of long-term debt	(4,581)	(25,000)
Minority interest capital contributions	1,160	0
Debt issuance costs		0
Distribution to minority interests	(115)	(240)
Distribution to majority interests	0
Other	(430)	(23)
Net payments related to intercompany financing	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(3,363)	(24,199)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(24,073)	(47,457)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	86,957	207,052
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	62,884	159,595
Gentiva Health Services, Inc. [Member]
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash used in operating activities	(11,806)	(8,314)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	597	992
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	6	72
Repayment of long-term debt	(4,581)	(25,000)
Minority interest capital contributions	0
Debt issuance costs		0
Distribution to minority interests	0	387
Distribution to majority interests	0
Other	(337)	(23)
Net payments related to intercompany financing	(7,953)	(16,495)
Net cash used in financing activities	(12,268)	(40,067)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(24,074)	(48,381)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	55,076	166,140
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	31,002	117,759
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash used in operating activities	(5,012)	(13,821)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	(3,104)	(2,646)
Proceeds from the sale of assets	191
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,913)	(2,646)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	0	0
Repayment of long-term debt	0	0
Minority interest capital contributions	0
Debt issuance costs		0
Distribution to minority interests	0	(28)
Distribution to majority interests	0
Other	(28)	0
Net payments related to intercompany financing	7,953	16,495
Net cash used in financing activities	7,925	16,467
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash used in operating activities	(597)	1,575
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	(54)	(52)
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(54)	(52)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	0	0
Repayment of long-term debt	0	0
Minority interest capital contributions	1,160
Debt issuance costs		0
Distribution to minority interests	(115)	(599)
Distribution to majority interests	(328)
Other	(65)	0
Net payments related to intercompany financing	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	652	(599)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	1	924
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	31,881	40,912
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	31,882	41,836
Eliminations [Member]
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash used in operating activities	(328)	0
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of fixed assets	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0
Windfall tax benefits associated with equity-based compensation	0	0
Repayment of long-term debt	0	0
Minority interest capital contributions
Debt issuance costs		0
Distribution to minority interests		0
Distribution to majority interests	328
Other	0	0
Net payments related to intercompany financing	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	328	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0	$ 0