Borrowing Arrangements (Senior Notes) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2013 1.55% Senior Notes due 2016	Dec. 31, 2013 1.55% Senior Notes due 2016	Dec. 31, 2012 1.55% Senior Notes due 2016	Sep. 30, 2013 5.70% Senior Notes due 2043	Dec. 31, 2013 5.70% Senior Notes due 2043	Dec. 31, 2012 5.70% Senior Notes due 2043	Mar. 31, 2013 5.45% Senior Notes due 2043	Dec. 31, 2013 5.45% Senior Notes due 2043	Dec. 31, 2012 5.45% Senior Notes due 2043	Mar. 31, 2013 2.700% Senior Notes due 2020	Dec. 31, 2013 2.700% Senior Notes due 2020	Dec. 31, 2012 2.700% Senior Notes due 2020	Feb. 28, 2013 6.25% Senior Notes due 2013	Dec. 31, 2013 6.25% Senior Notes due 2013	Dec. 31, 2012 6.25% Senior Notes due 2013	Dec. 31, 2012 2.00% Senior Notes due 2018	Dec. 31, 2013 2.00% Senior Notes due 2018	Dec. 31, 2012 3.25% Senior Notes due 2022	Aug. 31, 2012 3.25% Senior Notes due 2022	Dec. 31, 2013 3.25% Senior Notes due 2022	Apr. 30, 2012 4.00% Senior Notes due 2019	Dec. 31, 2013 4.00% Senior Notes due 2019	Dec. 31, 2012 4.00% Senior Notes due 2019	Feb. 29, 2012 4.25% Senior Notes due 2022	Dec. 31, 2013 4.25% Senior Notes due 2022	Dec. 31, 2012 4.25% Senior Notes due 2022	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 9% Senior Notes due 2012	Dec. 31, 2012 8.25% Senior Notes, Due 2012	Dec. 31, 2012 6 3/4% Senior Notes due 2017	Dec. 31, 2012 6 1/2% Senior Notes due 2016	Dec. 31, 2011 6 1/2% Senior Notes due 2016	May 31, 2011 4.750% Senior Notes due 2021	Dec. 31, 2013 4.750% Senior Notes due 2021	Dec. 31, 2012 4.750% Senior Notes due 2021	Dec. 31, 2011 6.50% Senior Notes due 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 NHP	Dec. 31, 2013 Ventas Realty (1)		Dec. 31, 2012 Ventas Realty (1)		Dec. 31, 2011 Ventas Realty (1)		Dec. 31, 2013 Ventas Capital Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount outstanding	$ 9,320,477,000	$ 8,186,315,000			$ 550,000,000	$ 0		$ 300,000,000	$ 0		$ 258,750,000	$ 0		$ 500,000,000	$ 0		$ 0	$ 269,850,000	$ 700,000,000	$ 700,000,000	$ 500,000,000		$ 500,000,000		$ 600,000,000	$ 600,000,000		$ 600,000,000	$ 600,000,000								$ 700,000,000	$ 700,000,000		$ 309,800,000	$ 5,100,000,000						$ 4,300,000,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount				550,000,000			300,000,000			258,800,000			500,000,000						700,000,000		225,000,000	275,000,000		600,000,000			600,000,000									700,000,000
Interest rate (as a percent)				1.55%	1.55%	1.55%	5.70%	5.70%	5.70%	5.45%	5.45%	5.45%	2.70%	2.70%	2.70%	6.25%	6.25%	6.25%	2.00%	2.00%	3.25%	3.25%	3.25%	4.00%	4.00%	4.00%	4.25%	4.25%	4.25%		9.00%	8.25%	6.75%	6.50%		4.75%	4.75%	4.75%	6.50%
Public offering price as percent of par				99.91%			99.628%						99.942%						99.739%		98.509%	99.027%		99.489%			99.214%									99.132%
Proceeds from issuance of debt				549,500,000			298,900,000			258,800,000			499,700,000						698,200,000		221,600,000	272,300,000		596,900,000			595,300,000									693,900,000
Maturities of Senior Debt																270,000,000														155,400,000									339,000,000
Extinguishment of debt, amount																																	225,000,000	200,000,000	200,000,000
Redemption price as a percentage of par																																	103.375%	103.25%	103.25%
Loss on extinguishment of debt	$ (1,201,000)	$ (37,640,000)	$ (27,604,000)																											$ 39,700,000					$ 8,700,000						$ (1,510,000)	[1]	$ (39,737,000)	[1]	$ (8,769,000)	[1]

[1] Certain of Ventas Realty’s outstanding senior notes were issued jointly with our 100% owned subsidiary, Ventas Capital Corporation, which has no assets or operations.