CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION (unaudited) (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Revenues:
Rental income		$ 310,910	$ 261,368	$ 876,592	$ 540,133
Resident fees and services		317,131	274,294	906,946	590,103
Medical office building and other services revenues		4,544	9,271	16,791	26,050
Income from loans and investments		9,035	10,072	25,223	24,548
Equity earnings in affiliates		0	0	0	0
Interest and other income		330	373	441	529
Total revenues		641,950	555,378	1,825,993	1,181,363
Expenses:
Interest		75,139	69,518	217,475	162,348
Depreciation and amortization		189,908	156,593	538,946	286,663
Property-level operating expenses		253,005	207,427	706,544	438,386
Medical office building services costs		1,487	6,347	8,314	19,837
General, administrative and professional fees		26,872	20,624	75,779	51,010
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt		(1,194)	8,685	38,339	25,211
Litigation proceeds, net		0	(85,327)	0	(85,327)
Merger-related expenses and deal costs		4,917	69,350	49,566	131,606
Other		2,508	13,882	5,594	5,827
Total expenses		552,642	467,099	1,640,557	1,035,561
Income before income/loss from unconsolidated entities, income taxes, discontinued operations and noncontrolling interest		89,308	88,279	185,436	145,802
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities	16,600	17,074	182	17,905	(71)
Income tax benefit		8,886	13,732	2,727	23,039
Income from continuing operations		115,268	102,193	206,068	168,770
Discontinued operations		(3,447)	(209)	69,581	1,994
Net income		111,821	101,984	275,649	170,764	363,261
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest		(61)	(901)	(884)	(781)
Net income attributable to common stockholders		111,882	102,885	276,533	171,545
Ventas, Inc.
Revenues:
Rental income		640	623	1,898	1,848
Resident fees and services		0	0	0	0
Medical office building and other services revenues		0	0	0	0
Income from loans and investments		951	1,124	2,841	5,070
Equity earnings in affiliates		115,319	52,291	228,099	160,546
Interest and other income		12	6	97	96
Total revenues		116,922	54,044	232,935	167,560
Expenses:
Interest		(1,139)	392	(3,375)	(474)
Depreciation and amortization		1,057	440	2,576	1,273
Property-level operating expenses		0	0	0	0
Medical office building services costs		0	0	0	0
General, administrative and professional fees		1,028	1,194	4,839	(5,840)
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt		0	0	0	0
Litigation proceeds, net		0	(85,327)	0	(85,327)
Merger-related expenses and deal costs		12,552	47,309	42,605	108,509
Other		(5)	883	(4)	913
Total expenses		13,493	(35,109)	46,641	19,054
Income before income/loss from unconsolidated entities, income taxes, discontinued operations and noncontrolling interest		103,429	89,153	186,294	148,506
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities		0	0	0	0
Income tax benefit		8,886	13,732	2,727	23,039
Income from continuing operations		112,315	102,885	189,021	171,545
Discontinued operations		(433)	0	87,512	0
Net income		111,882	102,885	276,533	171,545
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest		0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders		111,882	102,885	276,533	171,545
Ventas Issuers
Revenues:
Rental income		70,220	68,314	208,445	202,726
Resident fees and services		0	0	0	0
Medical office building and other services revenues		0	0	0	0
Income from loans and investments		301	103	1,330	8,566
Equity earnings in affiliates		0	0	0	0
Interest and other income		10	10	20	52
Total revenues		70,531	68,427	209,795	211,344
Expenses:
Interest		23,407	20,590	68,576	48,914
Depreciation and amortization		7,578	7,945	28,527	23,939
Property-level operating expenses		128	115	369	414
Medical office building services costs		0	0	0	0
General, administrative and professional fees		8,092	6,427	22,204	21,625
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt		17	8,685	39,737	8,685
Merger-related expenses and deal costs		0	0	0	0
Other		0	0	0	0
Total expenses		39,222	43,762	159,413	103,577
Income before income/loss from unconsolidated entities, income taxes, discontinued operations and noncontrolling interest		31,309	24,665	50,382	107,767
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities		429	182	1,260	(71)
Income tax benefit		0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations		31,738	24,847	51,642	107,696
Discontinued operations		106	1,085	2,091	2,616
Net income		31,844	25,932	53,733	110,312
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest		0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders		31,844	25,932	53,733	110,312
Ventas Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Rental income		240,050	192,431	666,249	335,559
Resident fees and services		317,131	274,294	906,946	590,103
Medical office building and other services revenues		4,544	9,271	16,791	26,050
Income from loans and investments		7,783	8,845	21,052	10,912
Equity earnings in affiliates		318	259	537	1,103
Interest and other income		308	357	324	381
Total revenues		570,134	485,457	1,611,899	964,108
Expenses:
Interest		52,871	48,536	152,274	113,908
Depreciation and amortization		181,273	148,208	507,843	261,451
Property-level operating expenses		252,877	207,312	706,175	437,972
Medical office building services costs		1,487	6,347	8,314	19,837
General, administrative and professional fees		17,752	13,003	48,736	35,225
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt		(1,211)	0	(1,398)	16,526
Merger-related expenses and deal costs		(7,635)	22,041	6,961	23,097
Other		2,513	12,999	5,598	4,914
Total expenses		499,927	458,446	1,434,503	912,930
Income before income/loss from unconsolidated entities, income taxes, discontinued operations and noncontrolling interest		70,207	27,011	177,396	51,178
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities		16,645	0	16,645	0
Income tax benefit		0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations		86,852	27,011	194,041	51,178
Discontinued operations		(3,120)	(1,294)	(20,022)	(622)
Net income		83,732	25,717	174,019	50,556
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest		(61)	(901)	(884)	(781)
Net income attributable to common stockholders		83,793	26,618	174,903	51,337
Consolidated Eliminations
Revenues:
Rental income		0	0	0	0
Resident fees and services		0	0	0	0
Medical office building and other services revenues		0	0	0	0
Income from loans and investments		0	0	0	0
Equity earnings in affiliates		(115,637)	(52,550)	(228,636)	(161,649)
Interest and other income		0	0	0	0
Total revenues		(115,637)	(52,550)	(228,636)	(161,649)
Expenses:
Interest		0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization		0	0	0	0
Property-level operating expenses		0	0	0	0
Medical office building services costs		0	0	0	0
General, administrative and professional fees		0	0	0	0
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt		0	0	0	0
Merger-related expenses and deal costs		0	0	0	0
Other		0	0	0	0
Total expenses		0	0	0	0
Income before income/loss from unconsolidated entities, income taxes, discontinued operations and noncontrolling interest		(115,637)	(52,550)	(228,636)	(161,649)
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities		0	0	0	0
Income tax benefit		0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations		(115,637)	(52,550)	(228,636)	(161,649)
Discontinued operations		0	0	0	0
Net income		(115,637)	(52,550)	(228,636)	(161,649)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest		0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders		$ (115,637)	$ (52,550)	$ (228,636)	$ (161,649)