Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended						3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013		Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011	Mar. 31, 2013 HCR ManorCare	Mar. 31, 2012 HCR ManorCare	Dec. 31, 2012 HCR ManorCare	Mar. 31, 2013 Senior housing	Mar. 31, 2012 Senior housing	Mar. 31, 2013 Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living item	Mar. 31, 2012 Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living item	Mar. 31, 2013 Post-acute/skilled	Mar. 31, 2012 Post-acute/skilled	Mar. 31, 2013 Gross Assets Operators HCR ManorCare	Dec. 31, 2012 Gross Assets Operators HCR ManorCare	Mar. 31, 2013 Gross Assets Operators Brookdale Senior Living	Dec. 31, 2012 Gross Assets Operators Brookdale Senior Living	Mar. 31, 2013 Gross Assets Operators Emeritus	Dec. 31, 2012 Gross Assets Operators Emeritus	Mar. 31, 2013 Gross Assets Operators Sunrise Senior Living	Dec. 31, 2012 Gross Assets Operators Sunrise Senior Living	Mar. 31, 2013 Gross Assets Operators Senior housing HCR ManorCare	Dec. 31, 2012 Gross Assets Operators Senior housing HCR ManorCare	Mar. 31, 2013 Gross Assets Operators Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Dec. 31, 2012 Gross Assets Operators Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Mar. 31, 2013 Gross Assets Operators Senior housing Emeritus	Dec. 31, 2012 Gross Assets Operators Senior housing Emeritus	Mar. 31, 2013 Gross Assets Operators Senior housing Sunrise Senior Living	Dec. 31, 2012 Gross Assets Operators Senior housing Sunrise Senior Living	Mar. 31, 2013 Gross Assets Operators Post-acute/skilled HCR ManorCare	Dec. 31, 2012 Gross Assets Operators Post-acute/skilled HCR ManorCare	Mar. 31, 2013 Revenue Operators HCR ManorCare	Mar. 31, 2012 Revenue Operators HCR ManorCare	Mar. 31, 2013 Revenue Operators Brookdale Senior Living	Mar. 31, 2012 Revenue Operators Brookdale Senior Living	Mar. 31, 2013 Revenue Operators Emeritus	Mar. 31, 2012 Revenue Operators Emeritus	Mar. 31, 2013 Revenue Operators Sunrise Senior Living	Mar. 31, 2012 Revenue Operators Sunrise Senior Living	Mar. 31, 2013 Revenue Operators Senior housing HCR ManorCare	Mar. 31, 2012 Revenue Operators Senior housing HCR ManorCare	Mar. 31, 2013 Revenue Operators Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Mar. 31, 2012 Revenue Operators Senior housing Brookdale Senior Living	Mar. 31, 2013 Revenue Operators Senior housing Emeritus	Mar. 31, 2012 Revenue Operators Senior housing Emeritus	Mar. 31, 2013 Revenue Operators Senior housing Sunrise Senior Living	Mar. 31, 2012 Revenue Operators Senior housing Sunrise Senior Living	Mar. 31, 2013 Revenue Operators Post-acute/skilled HCR ManorCare	Mar. 31, 2012 Revenue Operators Post-acute/skilled HCR ManorCare
Concentration of Credit Risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)																	32.00%	31.00%	4.00%	4.00%	14.00%	13.00%	7.00%	7.00%	11.00%	11.00%	10.00%	11.00%	35.00%	35.00%	17.00%	17.00%	89.00%	89.00%	28.00%	31.00%	4.00%	5.00%	13.00%	7.00%	5.00%	5.00%	10.00%	12.00%	12.00%	14.00%	35.00%	21.00%	13.00%	16.00%	87.00%	93.00%
Concentration risk, assets												$ 700,000,000		$ 692,000,000
Concentration risk, revenue												37,000,000	35,000,000
Number of senior living communities operated in a RIDEA structure												21		21
Percentage of operator assets to segment assets after inclusion of assets under RIDEA structure																											20.00%	8.00%
Percentage of operator assets to total entity assets after inclusion of assets under RIDEA structure																			20.00%	8.00%
Percentage of operator revenue to segment revenue after inclusion of revenue under RIDEA structure																																													31.00%	37.00%
Percentage of operator revenue to total entity revenue after inclusion of revenue under RIDEA structure																																					11.00%	12.00%
Balance Sheets:
Real estate and other property, net	10,877,680,000			10,885,027,000			3,030,700,000		3,046,600,000
Cash and cash equivalents	47,547,000		347,425,000				157,800,000	161,900,000
Deferred income taxes							1,622,300,000		1,627,100,000
Goodwill and intangible assets, net							3,243,700,000		3,243,800,000
Other assets, net	776,853,000			788,520,000			778,000,000		754,500,000
Total assets	19,732,731,000	[1]		19,915,555,000	[1]		8,832,500,000		8,792,500,000
Debt and financing obligations							6,348,700,000		6,374,600,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	238,583,000			293,994,000			1,073,700,000		1,019,800,000
Total liabilities	8,950,672,000	[2]		9,161,778,000	[2]		7,422,400,000		7,394,400,000
Redeemable preferred stock							2,100,000		2,100,000
Total equity	10,782,059,000		9,309,962,000	10,753,777,000		9,220,622,000	1,408,000,000		1,396,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	19,732,731,000			19,915,555,000			8,832,500,000		8,792,500,000
Revenues:
Revenues	516,269,000		455,827,000				1,068,700,000	1,041,200,000		188,383,000	149,961,000				146,088,000	133,953,000
Costs and expenses:
Operating, general and administrative							912,400,000	885,400,000
Depreciation and amortization	104,717,000		85,280,000				37,300,000	42,000,000
Interest expense	109,351,000		103,752,000				104,400,000	106,300,000
Total costs and expenses	308,417,000		276,454,000				1,054,100,000	1,033,700,000
Other income, net	12,012,000		436,000				700,000	1,700,000
Income before income taxes and equity income from unconsolidated joint ventures	219,864,000		179,809,000				15,300,000	9,200,000
Income taxes and equity income from unconsolidated joint ventures							(3,600,000)	(2,900,000)
Net income	233,784,000		196,564,000				11,700,000	6,300,000
Statements of Cash Flows:
Net cash provided by operating activities	214,350,000		186,468,000				88,600,000	22,100,000
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property and equipment							(21,200,000)	(24,900,000)
Purchase of securities and other							(4,100,000)	(2,200,000)
Net cash used in investing activities	(57,360,000)		(31,146,000)				(25,300,000)	(27,100,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of debt and financing obligations							(26,000,000)	(19,600,000)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(200,126,000)		313,919,000				37,300,000	(24,600,000)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	247,673,000		33,506,000				120,500,000	186,500,000
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	47,547,000		347,425,000				157,800,000	161,900,000
Credit Enhancement Guarantee
Third party debt collateralized by facilities, debt amount (maturing in May 1, 2025)	116,000,000
Third party debt collateralized by facilities, asset carrying amount (maturing in May 1, 2025)	$ 375,000,000

[1] The Company's consolidated total assets at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, include assets of certain variable interest entities ("VIEs") that can only be used to settle the liabilities of those VIEs as follows: accounts receivable, net, $2 million in each period presented; cash and cash equivalents, $10 million in each period presented; and other assets, net, $3 million and $2 million, respectively. See Note 16 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

[2] The Company's consolidated total liabilities at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, include liabilities of certain VIEs for which the VIE creditors do not have recourse to HCP, Inc. as follows: other debt, $0.2 million in each period presented; accounts payable and accrued liabilities, $15 million and $14 million, respectively; and deferred revenue, $2 million in each period presented. See Note 16 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.