CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION (unaudited) (Details 4) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ 709,319,000	$ 443,901,000
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,213,906,000)	(842,924,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under revolving credit facility	248,921,000	434,000,000
Proceeds from debt	1,568,382,000	957,753,000
Repayment of debt	(1,103,000,000)	(895,043,000)
Net change in intercompany debt	0	0
Payment of deferred financing costs	(4,257,000)	(1,898,000)
Issuance of common stock, net	342,469,000	299,926,000
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	0	0
Cash distribution to common stockholders	(545,240,000)	(354,932,000)
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	(3,358,000)	(4,038,000)
Purchases of redeemable OP units	(1,760,000)	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(4,035,000)	(1,997,000)
Other	19,130,000	1,019,000
Net cash provided by financing activities	517,252,000	434,790,000
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	12,665,000	35,767,000
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	58,000	(97,000)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	45,807,000	21,812,000	41,899,000
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	58,530,000	57,482,000	41,899,000
Ventas, Inc.
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(5,543,000)	(3,510,000)
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,114,598,000)	(431,727,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under revolving credit facility	0	0
Proceeds from debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Net change in intercompany debt	1,329,833,000	981,494,000
Payment of deferred financing costs	0	0
Issuance of common stock, net	342,469,000	299,926,000
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	(13,087,000)	(491,099,000)
Cash distribution to common stockholders	(545,240,000)	(354,932,000)
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	(3,358,000)	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interest	0	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units	(1,760,000)	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Other	19,130,000	1,017,000
Net cash provided by financing activities	1,127,987,000	436,406,000
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	7,846,000	1,169,000
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	2,335,000	1,083,000
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	10,181,000	2,252,000
Ventas Issuers
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	156,211,000	180,935,000
Net cash used in investing activities	(113,000)	(500,879,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under revolving credit facility	255,500,000	434,000,000
Proceeds from debt	1,255,105,000	689,374,000
Repayment of debt	(521,527,000)	(206,500,000)
Net change in intercompany debt	(1,050,117,000)	(1,208,212,000)
Payment of deferred financing costs	(3,395,000)	(1,519,000)
Issuance of common stock, net	0	0
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	(91,722,000)	612,898,000
Cash distribution to common stockholders	0	0
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	0	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interest	0	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Other	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	(156,156,000)	320,041,000
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	(58,000)	97,000
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	58,000	(97,000)
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 (used in) provided by operating activities	558,651,000	266,476,000
Net cash used in investing activities	(99,195,000)	89,682,000
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under revolving credit facility	(6,579,000)	0
Proceeds from debt	313,277,000	268,379,000
Repayment of debt	(581,473,000)	(688,543,000)
Net change in intercompany debt	(279,716,000)	226,718,000
Payment of deferred financing costs	(862,000)	(379,000)
Issuance of common stock, net	0	0
Cash distribution (to) from affiliates	104,809,000	(121,799,000)
Cash distribution to common stockholders	0	0
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	0	(4,038,000)
Contributions from noncontrolling interest	0	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(4,035,000)	(1,997,000)
Other	0	2,000
Net cash provided by financing activities	(454,579,000)	(321,657,000)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	4,877,000	34,501,000
Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	43,472,000	20,729,000
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	48,349,000	55,230,000
Consolidated Eliminations
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under revolving credit facility	0	0
Proceeds from debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	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 (to) from affiliates	0	0
Cash distribution to common stockholders	0	0
Cash distribution to redeemable OP unitholders	0	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interest	0	0
Purchases of redeemable OP units	0	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