Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Accounting Policies	Accounting Policies Nature of Operations: Invacare Corporation is a leading manufacturer and distributor of medical equipment used in the home or institutional setting based upon the Company’s distribution channels, breadth of product line and net sales. The Company designs, manufactures and distributes an extensive line of health care products for the non-acute care environment, including the home health care, retail and extended care markets. Principles of Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries and include all adjustments, which were of a normal recurring nature, necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Company as of June 30, 2014, the results of its operations for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and changes in its cash flow for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Certain foreign subsidiaries, represented by the European segment, are consolidated using a May 31 quarter end in order to meet filing deadlines. No material subsequent events have occurred related to the European segment, which would require disclosure or adjustment to the Company's financial statements. All significant intercompany transactions are eliminated. The results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. Use of Estimates: The consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Recent Accounting Pronouncements: In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2013-04, Liabilities (Topic 405), Obligations Resulting from Joint and Several Liability Arrangements for Which the Total Amount of the Obligation is Fixed at the Reporting Date. This update requires an entity to measure obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligation is fixed at the reporting date, as the sum of a) the amount the reporting entity agreed to pay on the basis of its arrangement among its co-obligors and b) any additional amount the reporting entity expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. The update also requires an entity to disclose the nature and amount of the obligation as well as other information about those obligations. The Company adopted ASU No. 2013-04 in the first quarter of 2014 with no impact on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss), Balance Sheets or Statement of Cash Flows. In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-11, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists." ASU 2013-11 requires an entity to present an unrecognized tax benefit in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss or a tax credit carryforward, with limited exceptions. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. ASU 2013-11 was adopted by the Company on January 1, 2014 and did not have a significant impact on the Company's financial statements. In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08 changing the presentation of discontinued operations on the statements of income and other requirements for reporting discontinued operations. Under the new standard, a disposal of a component or a group of components of an entity is required to be reported in discontinued operations if the disposal represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results when the component meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale or is disposed. The amendments in this update also require additional disclosures about discontinued operations and disposal of an individually significant component of an entity that does not qualify for discontinued operations. This standard must be prospectively applied to all reporting periods presented in financial reports issued after the effective date. Early adoption is permitted for disposals that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issuance. The new accounting guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014. If applicable, this standard will change the presentation of the Company's financial statements but will not affect the calculation of net income, comprehensive income or earnings per share. The Company plans to adopt ASU 2014-08 effective January 1, 2015. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers." ASU 2014-09 requires a company to recognize revenue when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. The guidance requires five steps to be applied: 1) identify the contract(s) with customers, 2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, 3) determine the transaction price, 4) allocated the transaction price to the performance obligation in the contract and 5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The guidance also requires both quantitative and qualitative disclosures, which are more comprehensive than existing revenue standards. The disclosures are intended to enable financial statement users to understand the nature, timing and uncertainty of revenue and the related cash flow. An entity can apply the new revenue standard retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or retrospective with the cumulative effect of initially applying the standard recognized at the date of initial application in retained earnings. The new accounting guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently reviewing the impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on the Company's financial statements.

Accounting Policies

Nature of Operations: Invacare Corporation is a leading manufacturer and distributor of medical equipment used in the home or institutional setting based upon the Company’s distribution channels, breadth of product line and net sales. The Company designs, manufactures and distributes an extensive line of health care products for the non-acute care environment, including the home health care, retail and extended care markets.

Principles of Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries and include all adjustments, which were of a normal recurring nature, necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Company as of June 30, 2014, the results of its operations for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and changes in its cash flow for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Certain foreign subsidiaries, represented by the European segment, are consolidated using a May 31 quarter end in order to meet filing deadlines. No material subsequent events have occurred related to the European segment, which would require disclosure or adjustment to the Company's financial statements. All significant intercompany transactions are eliminated. The results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Use of Estimates: The consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements: In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2013-04, Liabilities (Topic 405), Obligations Resulting from Joint and Several Liability Arrangements for Which the Total Amount of the Obligation is Fixed at the Reporting Date. This update requires an entity to measure obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligation is fixed at the reporting date, as the sum of a) the amount the reporting entity agreed to pay on the basis of its arrangement among its co-obligors and b) any additional amount the reporting entity expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. The update also requires an entity to disclose the nature and amount of the obligation as well as other information about those obligations. The Company adopted ASU No. 2013-04 in the first quarter of 2014 with no impact on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss), Balance Sheets or Statement of Cash Flows.

In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-11, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists." ASU 2013-11 requires an entity to present an unrecognized tax benefit in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss or a tax credit carryforward, with limited exceptions. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. ASU 2013-11 was adopted by the Company on January 1, 2014 and did not have a significant impact on the Company's financial statements.

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08 changing the presentation of discontinued operations on the statements of income and other requirements for reporting discontinued operations. Under the new standard, a disposal of a component or a group of components of an entity is required to be reported in discontinued operations if the disposal represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results when the component meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale or is disposed. The amendments in this update also require additional disclosures about discontinued operations and disposal of an individually significant component of an entity that does not qualify for discontinued operations. This standard must be prospectively applied to all reporting periods presented in financial reports issued after the effective date. Early adoption is permitted for disposals that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issuance. The new accounting guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014. If applicable, this standard will change the presentation of the Company's financial statements but will not affect the calculation of net income, comprehensive income or earnings per share. The Company plans to adopt ASU 2014-08 effective January 1, 2015.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers." ASU 2014-09 requires a company to recognize revenue when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. The guidance requires five steps to be applied: 1) identify the contract(s) with customers, 2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, 3) determine the transaction price, 4) allocated the transaction price to the performance obligation in the contract and 5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The guidance also requires both quantitative and qualitative disclosures, which are more comprehensive than existing revenue standards. The disclosures are intended to enable financial statement users to understand the nature, timing and uncertainty of revenue and the related cash flow. An entity can apply the new revenue standard retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or retrospective with the cumulative effect of initially applying the standard recognized at the date of initial application in retained earnings. The new accounting guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently reviewing the impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on the Company's financial statements.