Net Investment in Direct Financing Leases (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended					0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2012 item	Dec. 31, 2011 item	Apr. 30, 2010 item	Apr. 02, 2012 HCR ManorCare	Apr. 07, 2011 HCR ManorCare item	Dec. 31, 2012 HCR ManorCare item	Dec. 31, 2012 HCR ManorCare Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 HCR ManorCare Maximum
Net Investment in Direct Financing Leases
Minimum lease payments receivable			$ 25,217,520,000	$ 25,744,161,000				$ 24,000,000,000
Estimated residual values			4,010,514,000	4,010,514,000
Less unearned income			(22,346,641,000)	(23,026,898,000)
Net investment in direct financing leases			6,881,393,000	6,727,777,000
Number of properties subject to direct financing leases			361	361
Number of DFLs used as collateral for debt					3
Deposit to be retained, due to settlement agreement and plan of reorganization					5,000,000
Additional amount to be received, due to settlement agreement and plan of reorganization					9,600,000
Impairment recoveries	11,900,000
Impairment charges related to investments in DFLs		63,100,000
Acquisition
Minimum lease payments receivable			25,217,520,000	25,744,161,000				24,000,000,000
Rent receivable from triple-net lease with HCR ManorCare						489,000,000	472,500,000
Rate of increase in rent receivable per year after each of the next four years of initial lease term (as a percent)								3.50%
Rate of increase in rent receivable per year for remaining years of lease term (as a percent)								3.00%
Number of asset pools								4
Rate of increase in rent receivable for first year of extension option (as a percent)								3.00%
Total initial available term of asset pools									23 years	35 years
Number of post-acute, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities acquired							334
Capital leases future minimum payments receivable
2013			551,139,000
2014			563,994,000
2015			583,418,000
2016			603,513,000
2017			622,198,000
Thereafter			22,293,258,000
Total			$ 25,217,520,000