CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 272,891	$ 344,169
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net investment in real estate property	(13,620)	(1,072,539)
Proceeds from loans receivable	1,625	92,056
Investment in loans receivable and other	(146,214)	(39,573)
Funds held in escrow for future development expenditures	0	4,003
Proceeds from real estate disposals	54,211	166,341
Capital expenditures	(23,721)	(21,171)
Development project expenditures	(34,767)	(33,467)
Other	(4,265)	(4,180)
Net cash used in investing activities	(166,751)	(908,530)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	137,440	(452,897)
Proceeds from debt	145	1,092,833
Repayment of debt	(151,309)	(24,647)
Net change in intercompany debt	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0	(2,660)
Payment of deferred financing costs	(76)	(14,435)
Issuance of common stock, net	149,631	285,327
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	0	0
Cash distribution to common stockholders	(245,496)	(254,910)
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	(2,323)	(2,365)
Purchases of redeemable OP units	0	(569)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(1,743)	(1,822)
Other	6,151	5,690
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(107,580)	629,545
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(1,440)	65,184
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	118	(307)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	53,023	55,348
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	51,701	120,225
Consolidated Elimination
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net investment in real estate property	0	0
Proceeds from loans receivable	0	0
Investment in loans receivable and other	0	0
Funds held in escrow for future development expenditures		0
Proceeds from real estate disposals	0	0
Capital expenditures	0	0
Development project expenditures	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	0	0
Proceeds from debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Net change in intercompany debt	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest		0
Payment of deferred financing costs	0	0
Issuance of common stock, net	0	0
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	0	0
Cash distribution to common stockholders	0	0
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	0	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Effect of foreign currency translation on 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
Ventas, Inc.
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	22,155	(43,636)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net investment in real estate property	(13,620)	(1,072,539)
Proceeds from loans receivable	0	0
Investment in loans receivable and other	0	0
Funds held in escrow for future development expenditures		0
Proceeds from real estate disposals	11,091	166,341
Capital expenditures	0	0
Development project expenditures	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,529)	(906,198)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	0	0
Proceeds from debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Net change in intercompany debt	81,812	1,249,176
Purchase of noncontrolling interest		0
Payment of deferred financing costs	0	0
Issuance of common stock, net	149,631	285,327
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	(7,440)	(272,344)
Cash distribution to common stockholders	(245,496)	(254,910)
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Other	6,151	5,690
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(15,342)	1,012,939
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	4,284	63,105
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	(8,710)	(10,160)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	11,733	24,857
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	7,307	77,802
Ventas Realty
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(34,344)	57,112
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net investment in real estate property	0	0
Proceeds from loans receivable	0	0
Investment in loans receivable and other	0	0
Funds held in escrow for future development expenditures		0
Proceeds from real estate disposals	0	0
Capital expenditures	0	(6,274)
Development project expenditures	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	(6,274)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	(10,000)	(319,000)
Proceeds from debt	0	896,478
Repayment of debt	0	0
Net change in intercompany debt	41,031	(608,551)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest		0
Payment of deferred financing costs	0	(12,507)
Issuance of common stock, net	0	0
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	3,313	(7,258)
Cash distribution to common stockholders	0	0
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	0	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Other	0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	34,344	(50,838)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Effect of foreign currency translation on 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
Ownership percentage	100.00%
Ventas Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 285,080	330,693
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net investment in real estate property	0	0
Proceeds from loans receivable	1,625	92,056
Investment in loans receivable and other	(146,214)	(39,573)
Funds held in escrow for future development expenditures		4,003
Proceeds from real estate disposals	43,120	0
Capital expenditures	(23,721)	(14,897)
Development project expenditures	(34,767)	(33,467)
Other	(4,265)	(4,180)
Net cash used in investing activities	(164,222)	3,942
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	147,440	(133,897)
Proceeds from debt	145	196,355
Repayment of debt	(151,309)	(24,647)
Net change in intercompany debt	(122,843)	(640,625)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest		(2,660)
Payment of deferred financing costs	(76)	(1,928)
Issuance of common stock, net	0	0
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	4,127	279,602
Cash distribution to common stockholders	0	0
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	(2,323)	(2,365)
Purchases of redeemable OP units		(569)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(1,743)	(1,822)
Other	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(126,582)	(332,556)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(5,724)	2,079
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	8,828	9,853
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	41,290	30,491
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 44,394	$ 42,423
Ventas Capital Corporation
Cash flows from financing activities:
Ownership percentage	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%