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CONCENTRATION OF CREDIT RISK - Narrative (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2020 USD ($) senior_housing	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) property province state	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) property province state	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2022	Jul. 31, 2020 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Concentration Risk
Number of real estate properties \| property		1,200		1,200
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 992,824,000		$ 992,824,000				$ 106,363,000
Non-mortgage loans receivable, net		16,146,000		16,146,000				63,724,000
Rental income		369,165,000	$ 398,570,000	772,422,000	$ 800,066,000
Secured/mortgage loans and other, net
Concentration Risk
Debt securities, held-to-maturity		$ 633,582,000		$ 633,582,000				$ 645,546,000
Consolidated Seniors Housing Communities
Concentration Risk
Number of real estate properties \| property		428		428
Brookdale Senior Living \| Forecast
Concentration Risk
Annual increase of lease payment						3.00%
Brookdale Senior Living \| Subsequent Event
Concentration Risk
Cash and cash equivalents							$ 162,000,000
Non-mortgage loans receivable, net							$ 45,000,000
Loan receivable, interest rate							9.00%
Loan receivable, interest rate annual increase							0.50%
Number of securities called by warrants \| shares							16.3
Warrants, exercise price \| $ / shares							$ 3.00
Lessor, Operating Lease, Payments to be Received, Next Rolling Twelve Months							$ 100,000,000
Brookdale Senior Living \| Subsequent Event \| Up-front Payment Arrangement [Member]
Concentration Risk
Deferred Revenue							235,000,000
Brookdale Senior Living \| Secured/mortgage loans and other, net
Concentration Risk
Debt securities, held-to-maturity		$ 78,000,000		$ 78,000,000
Brookdale Senior Living \| Collateral Pledged [Member]
Concentration Risk
Number of real estate properties \| property		5		5
Brookdale Senior Living \| Transfer of escrow deposit to cash [Member] \| Subsequent Event
Concentration Risk
Cash and cash equivalents							$ 47,000,000
Atria and Sunrise \| Consolidated Seniors Housing Communities
Concentration Risk
Number of real estate properties \| property		260		260
Holiday Management Company
Concentration Risk
Number of real estate properties \| senior_housing	26
Loans and leases receivable, allowance	$ 49,600,000
Lease termination consideration received	99,800,000
Gain (Loss) on Contract Termination	50,200,000
Holiday Management Company \| Secured/mortgage loans and other, net
Concentration Risk
Debt securities, held-to-maturity	66,000,000
Holiday Management Company \| Transfer of escrow deposit to cash [Member]
Concentration Risk
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 33,800,000
Customer Concentration Risk \| Total Gross Book Value of Properties \| Hospitals, Medical Office Building and Other
Concentration Risk
Concentration percentage				36.50%
Customer Concentration Risk \| Total Gross Book Value of Properties \| Senior Living Operations \| Senior Housing Communities
Concentration Risk
Concentration percentage				47.00%
Customer Concentration Risk \| Total Gross Book Value of Properties \| Triple-Net Leased Properties \| Senior Housing Communities
Concentration Risk
Concentration percentage				16.50%
Customer Concentration Risk \| Total Gross Book Value of Properties \| Atria
Concentration Risk
Concentration percentage				20.70%
Customer Concentration Risk \| Total Gross Book Value of Properties \| Sunrise
Concentration Risk
Concentration percentage				10.50%
Customer Concentration Risk \| Total Gross Book Value of Properties \| Brookdale Senior Living
Concentration Risk
Concentration percentage				7.90%
Customer Concentration Risk \| Total Gross Book Value of Properties \| Ardent
Concentration Risk
Concentration percentage				4.90%
Customer Concentration Risk \| Total Gross Book Value of Properties \| Kindred
Concentration Risk
Concentration percentage				1.00%
Geographic Concentration Risk
Concentration Risk
Number of states in which entity operates \| state		45		45
Number of states accounting for more than 10% of total revenues and net operating income \| state		1		1
Continuing revenues and NOI threshold				10.00%
Geographic Concentration Risk \| CANADA
Concentration Risk
Number of Canadian provinces in which entity operates \| province		7		7