Condensed Consolidating Information (Income Statement) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 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
Revenues:
Rental income																	$ 1,325,984		$ 1,178,849		$ 793,802
Resident fees and services																	1,406,005		1,227,124		865,800
Medical office building and other services revenue																	17,809		20,741		36,471
Income from loans and investments																	58,208		39,913		34,415
Equity earnings in affiliates																	0		0		0
Interest and other income																	2,047		1,106		1,216
Total revenues	732,856	[1]	710,924	[1]	683,764	[1]	682,509	[1]	655,730	[2]	637,218	[2]	610,188	[2]	564,597	[2]	2,810,053		2,467,733		1,731,704
Expenses:
Interest																	334,484		288,276		223,804
Depreciation and amortization																	721,959		714,505		444,193
Property-level operating expenses																	1,109,632		966,422		645,082
Medical office building services costs																	8,315		9,883		27,082
General, administrative and professional fees																	115,106		98,510		74,537
Loss on extinguishment of debt, net																	1,201		37,640		27,604
Litigation proceeds, net																	0		0		(202,259)
Merger-related expenses and deal costs																	21,634		63,183		153,923
Other																	18,732		6,940		7,270
Total expenses																	2,331,063		2,185,359		1,401,236
Income from continuing operations before income (loss) from unconsolidated entities, income taxes and noncontrolling interest																	478,990		282,374		330,468
(Loss) income from unconsolidated entities																	(508)		18,154		(52)
Income tax benefit																	11,828		6,282		30,660
Income from continuing operations																	490,310		306,810		361,076
Discontinued operations	102	[1]	(8,972)	[1]	(18,315)	[1]	(8,236)	[1]	(15,172)	[2]	(3,855)	[2]	30,612	[2]	43,380	[2]	(35,421)		54,965		2,185
Net income																	454,889		361,775		363,261
Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax																	1,380		(1,025)		(1,232)
Net income attributable to common stockholders	108,440		118,296		114,580		112,193		86,267		111,882		74,025		90,626		453,509		362,800		364,493
Ventas, Inc.
Revenues:
Rental income																	2,486		2,538		2,471
Resident fees and services																	0		0		0
Medical office building and other services revenue																	0		0		0
Income from loans and investments																	1,262		2,944		6,305
Equity earnings in affiliates																	449,677		322,660		231,779
Interest and other income																	2,963		476		208
Total revenues																	456,388		328,618		240,763
Expenses:
Interest																	(2,167)		(3,858)		(1,897)
Depreciation and amortization																	4,990		2,777		1,714
Property-level operating expenses																	0		0		0
Medical office building services costs																	0		0		0
General, administrative and professional fees																	2,695		3,682		(5,322)
Loss on extinguishment of debt, net																	3		0		2,071
Litigation proceeds, net																					(202,259)
Merger-related expenses and deal costs																	11,917		53,199		111,845
Other																	884		78		778
Total expenses																	18,322		55,878		(93,070)
Income from continuing operations before income (loss) from unconsolidated entities, income taxes and noncontrolling interest																	438,066		272,740		333,833
(Loss) income from unconsolidated entities																	0		0		0
Income tax benefit																	11,828		6,282		30,660
Income from continuing operations																	449,894		279,022		364,493
Discontinued operations																	3,615		83,778		0
Net income																	453,509		362,800		364,493
Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax																	0		0		0
Net income attributable to common stockholders																	453,509		362,800		364,493
Ventas Realty (1)
Revenues:
Rental income																	277,779	[3]	272,506	[3]	265,039	[3]
Resident fees and services																	0	[3]	0	[3]	0	[3]
Medical office building and other services revenue																	(11)	[3]	0	[3]	0	[3]
Income from loans and investments																	908	[3]	1,871	[3]	8,570	[3]
Equity earnings in affiliates																	0	[3]	0	[3]	0	[3]
Interest and other income																	26	[3]	25	[3]	57	[3]
Total revenues																	278,702	[3]	274,402	[3]	273,666	[3]
Expenses:
Interest																	147,158	[3]	92,597	[3]	66,633	[3]
Depreciation and amortization																	30,007	[3]	35,414	[3]	30,473	[3]
Property-level operating expenses																	514	[3]	535	[3]	510	[3]
Medical office building services costs																	0	[3]	0	[3]	0	[3]
General, administrative and professional fees																	21,160	[3]	30,317	[3]	29,336	[3]
Loss on extinguishment of debt, net																	1,510	[3]	39,737	[3]	8,769	[3]
Litigation proceeds, net																					0	[3]
Merger-related expenses and deal costs																	0	[3]	0	[3]	0	[3]
Other																	44	[3]	0	[3]	0	[3]
Total expenses																	200,393	[3]	198,600	[3]	135,721	[3]
Income from continuing operations before income (loss) from unconsolidated entities, income taxes and noncontrolling interest																	78,309	[3]	75,802	[3]	137,945	[3]
(Loss) income from unconsolidated entities																	673	[3]	18,266	[3]	(52)	[3]
Income tax benefit																	0	[3]	0	[3]	0	[3]
Income from continuing operations																	78,982	[3]	94,068	[3]	137,893	[3]
Discontinued operations																	1,012	[3]	5,722	[3]	6,789	[3]
Net income																	79,994	[3]	99,790	[3]	144,682	[3]
Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax																	0	[3]	0	[3]	0	[3]
Net income attributable to common stockholders																	79,994	[3]	99,790	[3]	144,682	[3]
Ventas Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Rental income																	1,045,719		903,805		526,292
Resident fees and services																	1,406,005		1,227,124		865,800
Medical office building and other services revenue																	17,820		20,741		36,471
Income from loans and investments																	56,038		35,098		19,540
Equity earnings in affiliates																	800		998		1,447
Interest and other income																	(942)		605		951
Total revenues																	2,525,440		2,188,371		1,450,501
Expenses:
Interest																	189,493		199,537		159,068
Depreciation and amortization																	686,962		676,314		412,006
Property-level operating expenses																	1,109,118		965,887		644,572
Medical office building services costs																	8,315		9,883		27,082
General, administrative and professional fees																	91,251		64,511		50,523
Loss on extinguishment of debt, net																	(312)		(2,097)		16,764
Litigation proceeds, net																					0
Merger-related expenses and deal costs																	9,717		9,984		42,078
Other																	17,804		6,862		6,492
Total expenses																	2,112,348		1,930,881		1,358,585
Income from continuing operations before income (loss) from unconsolidated entities, income taxes and noncontrolling interest																	413,092		257,490		91,916
(Loss) income from unconsolidated entities																	(1,181)		(112)		0
Income tax benefit																	0		0		0
Income from continuing operations																	411,911		257,378		91,916
Discontinued operations																	(40,048)		(34,535)		(4,604)
Net income																	371,863		222,843		87,312
Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax																	1,380		(1,025)		(1,232)
Net income attributable to common stockholders																	370,483		223,868		88,544
Consolidated Elimination
Revenues:
Rental income																	0		0		0
Resident fees and services																	0		0		0
Medical office building and other services revenue																	0		0		0
Income from loans and investments																	0		0		0
Equity earnings in affiliates																	(450,477)		(323,658)		(233,226)
Interest and other income																	0		0		0
Total revenues																	(450,477)		(323,658)		(233,226)
Expenses:
Interest																	0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization																	0		0		0
Property-level operating expenses																	0		0		0
Medical office building services costs																	0		0		0
General, administrative and professional fees																	0		0		0
Loss on extinguishment of debt, net																	0		0		0
Litigation proceeds, net																					0
Merger-related expenses and deal costs																	0		0		0
Other																	0		0		0
Total expenses																	0		0		0
Income from continuing operations before income (loss) from unconsolidated entities, income taxes and noncontrolling interest																	(450,477)		(323,658)		(233,226)
(Loss) income from unconsolidated entities																	0		0		0
Income tax benefit																	0		0		0
Income from continuing operations																	(450,477)		(323,658)		(233,226)
Discontinued operations																	0		0		0
Net income																	(450,477)		(323,658)		(233,226)
Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax																	0		0		0
Net income attributable to common stockholders																	$ (450,477)		$ (323,658)		$ (233,226)

[1] The amounts presented for the three months ended March 31, 2013, June 30, 2013 and September 30, 2013 differ from the amounts previously reported in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q as a result of discontinued operations consisting of properties sold in 2013 or classified as held for sale as of December 31, 2013.

[2] The amounts presented for the three months ended March 31, 2012, June 30, 2012, September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2012 differ from the amounts previously reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 as a result of discontinued operations consisting of properties sold in 2013 or classified as held for sale as of December 31, 2013.

[3] 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.