Investments in and Advances to Unconsolidated Joint Ventures - Unconsolidated Joint Ventures (Details) $ in Thousands			1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2015 USD ($) property	Mar. 30, 2015 USD ($) property	Jan. 31, 2017 property	Dec. 31, 2016 property	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Cash contributed							$ 770,325
Gain on sales of real estate, net						$ 164,698	6,377	$ 3,288
HCP's share of earnings						11,360	57,313	49,570
Parent Company
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
HCP's share of earnings						$ 215,804	$ 191,986	$ 66,453
MBK
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investment ownership percentage		50.00%
HCP Ventures III and IV, LLC | Hospital and medical office segments
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Total Consideration for Disposition of Real Estate	$ 634,000
Gain on sales of real estate, net	$ 59,000
HCP Ventures III and IV, LLC | Medical office
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Disposition of Properties Sold Number | property	61
HCP Ventures III and IV, LLC | Hospital
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Disposition of Properties Sold Number | property	3
HCP Ventures III, LLC | Hospital
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Disposition of Properties Sold Number | property					3
Total Consideration for Disposition of Real Estate					$ 31,000
Gain on sales of real estate, net					4,900
HCP's share of earnings					1,300
Distributions received by HCP					$ 8,000
Brookdale Senior Living
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Disposition of Properties Sold Number | property			1	7
MBK JV | Senior housing
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Cash contributed		$ 27,000
Investment ownership percentage		50.00%
Number of campuses | property		3
MBK JV | MBK
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Debt related to retirement communities or properties contributed		$ 78,000
MBK JV | MBK | Senior housing
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 and IV, LLC | Hospital and medical office segments
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
HCP's share of earnings	$ 15,000
Distributions received by HCP	$ 45,000
HCP Ventures III, LLC | Medical office
Company owned interests in entities, accounted under equity method:
Investment ownership percentage				30.00%	30.00%	30.00%