Investments in and Advances to Unconsolidated Joint Ventures (Details) $ in Thousands			6 Months Ended
	Apr. 20, 2015 claim	Mar. 30, 2015 USD ($) property	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures			$ 641,487	$ 605,448
Number of unconsolidated joint ventures | item			3
Cash paid			$ 770,325
Brookdale Senior Living | CCRC JV
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Number of unconsolidated joint ventures | item			2
CCRC JV Investment [Member] | Senior housing
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures			$ 452,283
Investment ownership percentage			49.00%
HCRMC
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
New cases filed | claim	3
HCRMC | Post-acute/skilled
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures			$ 50,958
Investment ownership percentage			9.00%
MBK JV
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Debt related to retirement communities or properties contributed		$ 78,000
MBK JV | Senior housing
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures			$ 27,139
Investment ownership percentage		50.00%	50.00%
Number of campuses | property		3
Cash paid		$ 27,000
MBK JV | Senior housing | MBK Senior Living [Member]
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Number of retirement communities contributed to joint venture | property		3
Fair value of retirement communities or properties contributed		$ 126,000
HCP Ventures III, LLC | Medical office
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures			$ 6,408
Investment ownership percentage			30.00%
HCP Ventures IV | Hospital and medical office segments
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures			$ 25,432
Investment ownership percentage			20.00%
HCP Life Science | Life science
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures			$ 69,293
Number of unconsolidated joint ventures | item			3
HCP Life Science | Life science | Minimum
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investment ownership percentage			50.00%
HCP Life Science | Life science | Maximum
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investment ownership percentage			63.00%
Torrey Pines Science Center, LP
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investment ownership percentage			50.00%
Torrey Pines Science Center, LP | Life science
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investment ownership percentage			50.00%
Britannia Biotech Gateway, LP
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investment ownership percentage			55.00%
Britannia Biotech Gateway, LP | Life science
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investment ownership percentage			55.00%
LASDK, LP
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investment ownership percentage			63.00%
LASDK, LP | Life science
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investment ownership percentage			63.00%
Vintage Park | Senior housing
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures			$ 4,737
Investment ownership percentage			85.00%
Suburban Properties, LLC | Medical office
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures			$ 5,112
Investment ownership percentage			67.00%
Advances to unconsolidated joint ventures, net
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures			$ 125