The number of renewals available under the management agreement.

No definition available.

Name:	hcp_ManagementAgreementNumberOfRenewals
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the term of renewals of the agreement under which the Company receives management and accounting services.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_ManagementAgreementRenewalTerm
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the term of the agreement under which the Company receives management and accounting services.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_ManagementAgreementTerm
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of EBITDAR that is payable by the entity as base management fee.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_ManagementFeePayableAsPercentageOfEbitdar
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the total number of facilities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_NumberOfFacilities
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of Facilities Owned by Unconsolidated Joint Venture

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_NumberofFacilitiesOwnedbyUnconsolidatedJointVenture
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to quantitative amount, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 18
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e6351-108592

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109250915&loc=d3e13531-108611

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109250915&loc=d3e13537-108611

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e6404-108592

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	srt_CounterpartyNameAxis=hcp_BrookdaleMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=hcp_SeniorHousingOperatingPortfolioMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=hcp_ManagementAndAccountingServicesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis=hcp_ManagementAndAccountingServicesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis=us-gaap_AssetsTotalMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Concentration of Credit Risk - Narrative (Details)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Concentration of Credit Risk - Narrative (Details)	Mar. 31, 2019 facility renewal	Dec. 31, 2018
Brookdale \| Minimum
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Percentage of EDITDAR payable as base management fee	4.50%
Brookdale \| Maximum
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Percentage of EDITDAR payable as base management fee	5.00%
SHOP \| Management and Accounting Services \| Brookdale
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Number of facilities \| facility	27
Number of facilities owned by unconsolidated joint venture \| facility	16
Management and Accounting Services \| SHOP \| Brookdale
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Management agreement renewal term (in years)	5 years
Management and Accounting Services \| SHOP \| Brookdale \| Minimum
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Management agreement term (in years)	10 years
Number of renewals on management agreement \| renewal	3
Management and Accounting Services \| SHOP \| Brookdale \| Maximum
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Management agreement term (in years)	15 years
Number of renewals on management agreement \| renewal	4
Total Assets \| SHOP \| Brookdale
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Concentration risk (as a percent)	7.00%
Brookdale \| Total Assets
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Concentration risk (as a percent)	6.00%	6.00%