CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Revenues:
Rental and related revenues	$ 1,013,815	$ 1,002,578	$ 904,332
Tenant recoveries	94,658	92,258	89,011
Resident fees and services	143,745	50,619	32,596
Income from direct financing leases	622,073	464,704	49,438
Interest income	24,536	99,864	160,163
Investment management fee income	1,895	2,073	4,666
Total revenues	1,900,722	1,712,096	1,240,206
Costs and expenses:
Interest expense	417,130	416,396	285,508
Depreciation and amortization	358,245	349,922	306,934
Operating	283,998	220,151	210,158
General and administrative	79,454	96,121	83,019
Litigation settlement and provision		125,000
Impairments (recoveries)	7,878	15,400	(11,900)
Total costs and expenses	1,146,705	1,222,990	873,719
Other income, net	2,776	12,732	16,194
Income before income taxes and equity income from and impairments of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	756,793	501,838	382,681
Income taxes	1,636	(1,250)	(412)
Equity income from unconsolidated joint ventures	54,455	46,750	4,770
Impairments of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures			(71,693)
Income from continuing operations	812,884	547,338	315,346
Discontinued operations:
Income before gain on sales of real estate	2,504	4,049	9,124
Gain on sales of real estate	31,454	3,107	19,925
Total discontinued operations	33,958	7,156	29,049
Net income	846,842	554,494	344,395
Noncontrolling interests' share in earnings	(14,302)	(15,603)	(13,686)
Net income attributable to HCP, Inc.	832,540	538,891	330,709
Preferred stock dividends	(17,006)	(21,130)	(21,130)
Participating securities' share in earnings	(3,245)	(2,459)	(2,081)
Net income applicable to common shares	$ 812,289	$ 515,302	$ 307,498
Basic earnings per common share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 1.83	$ 1.28	$ 0.91
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.07	$ 0.01	$ 0.10
Net income applicable to common shares (in dollars per share)	$ 1.90	$ 1.29	$ 1.01
Diluted earnings per common share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 1.83	$ 1.28	$ 0.91
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.07	$ 0.01	$ 0.09
Net income applicable to common shares (in dollars per share)	$ 1.90	$ 1.29	$ 1.00
Weighted average shares used to calculate earnings per common share:
Basic (in shares)	427,047	398,446	305,574
Diluted (in shares)	428,316	400,218	306,900