CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION (Unaudited) - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 1,001,270	$ 1,022,045
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net investment in real estate property	(1,421,592)	(2,556,988)
Proceeds from loans receivable	194,063	106,909
Investment in loans receivable and other	(154,949)	(74,386)
Funds held in escrow for future development expenditures	0	4,003
Proceeds from real estate disposals	63,561	409,633
Proceeds from sale or maturity of marketable securities	0	76,800
Capital expenditures	(75,296)	(75,812)
Development project expenditures	(94,398)	(90,458)
Investment in unconsolidated operating entity	0	(26,282)
Other	(6,175)	(27,984)
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,494,786)	(2,254,565)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	46,728	(790,406)
Net cash impact of CCP Spin-Off	0	(128,749)
Proceeds from debt	876,617	2,511,061
Proceeds from debt related to CCP Spin-Off	0	1,400,000
Repayment of debt	(916,505)	(1,329,070)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(1,604)	(3,819)
Net change in intercompany debt	0	0
Payment of deferred financing costs	(6,147)	(23,893)
Issuance of common stock, net	1,265,702	417,818
Cash distribution from (to) affiliates	0	0
Cash distribution to common stockholders	(750,402)	(759,575)
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	(6,486)	(12,776)
Contributions from noncontrolling interest	5,926	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units	0	(33,188)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(5,121)	(11,250)
Other	21,507	6,489
Net cash provided by financing activities	530,215	1,242,642
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	36,699	10,122
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	(443)	(239)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	53,023	55,348
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	89,279	65,231
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
Proceeds from sale or maturity of marketable securities		0
Capital expenditures	0	0
Development project expenditures	0	0
Investment in unconsolidated operating entity		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
Net cash impact of CCP Spin-Off		0
Proceeds from debt	0	0
Proceeds from debt related to CCP Spin-Off		0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0	0
Net change in intercompany debt	0	0
Payment of deferred financing costs	0	0
Issuance of common stock, net	0	0
Cash distribution from (to) affiliates	0	0
Cash distribution to common stockholders	0	0
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	0	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interest	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	0	0
Net 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	39,559	(103,734)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net investment in real estate property	(1,440,710)	(2,556,988)
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	20,441	409,633
Proceeds from sale or maturity of marketable securities		76,800
Capital expenditures	0	0
Development project expenditures	0	0
Investment in unconsolidated operating entity		(26,282)
Other	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,420,269)	(2,096,837)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	0	0
Net cash impact of CCP Spin-Off		1,273,000
Proceeds from debt	0	0
Proceeds from debt related to CCP Spin-Off		0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0	0
Net change in intercompany debt	877,609	1,495,355
Payment of deferred financing costs	0	0
Issuance of common stock, net	1,265,702	417,818
Cash distribution from (to) affiliates	7,859	(235,140)
Cash distribution to common stockholders	(750,402)	(759,575)
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	0	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interest	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Other	21,507	6,489
Net cash provided by financing activities	1,422,275	2,197,947
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	41,565	(2,624)
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	(41,259)	(8,324)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	11,733	24,857
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	12,039	13,909
Ventas Realty
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(73,856)	31,319
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
Proceeds from sale or maturity of marketable securities		0
Capital expenditures	(18)	(15,731)
Development project expenditures	0	0
Investment in unconsolidated operating entity		0
Other	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(18)	(15,731)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	(94,000)	(658,000)
Net cash impact of CCP Spin-Off		0
Proceeds from debt	846,521	2,292,568
Proceeds from debt related to CCP Spin-Off		0
Repayment of debt	(651,820)	(705,000)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	0	0
Net change in intercompany debt	(32,967)	(946,310)
Payment of deferred financing costs	(5,485)	(21,932)
Issuance of common stock, net	0	0
Cash distribution from (to) affiliates	11,625	23,086
Cash distribution to common stockholders	0	0
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	0	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interest	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	73,874	(15,588)
Net 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 Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	1,035,567	1,094,460
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net investment in real estate property	19,118	0
Proceeds from loans receivable	194,063	106,909
Investment in loans receivable and other	(154,949)	(74,386)
Funds held in escrow for future development expenditures		4,003
Proceeds from real estate disposals	43,120	0
Proceeds from sale or maturity of marketable securities		0
Capital expenditures	(75,278)	(60,081)
Development project expenditures	(94,398)	(90,458)
Investment in unconsolidated operating entity		0
Other	(6,175)	(27,984)
Net cash used in investing activities	(74,499)	(141,997)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under credit facility	140,728	(132,406)
Net cash impact of CCP Spin-Off		(1,401,749)
Proceeds from debt	30,096	218,493
Proceeds from debt related to CCP Spin-Off		1,400,000
Repayment of debt	(264,685)	(624,070)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest	(1,604)	(3,819)
Net change in intercompany debt	(844,642)	(549,045)
Payment of deferred financing costs	(662)	(1,961)
Issuance of common stock, net	0	0
Cash distribution from (to) affiliates	(19,484)	212,054
Cash distribution to common stockholders	0	0
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	(6,486)	(12,776)
Contributions from noncontrolling interest	5,926
Purchases of redeemable OP units		(33,188)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(5,121)	(11,250)
Other	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	(965,934)	(939,717)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	(4,866)	12,746
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	40,816	8,085
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	41,290	30,491
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 77,240	$ 51,322