Commitments and Contingencies (Details Textuals) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies (Textuals) [Abstract]
Number of outstanding letters of credit	8
Outstanding letters of credit	$ 82,456,000
Additional financing to complete construction	227,618,000
Total contingent purchase obligations	80,874,000us-gaap_PurchaseObligation
Operating lease obligations relating to certain ground leases	916,404,000
Aggregate future minimum rentals to be received	27,190,000
Gross assets under capital lease recorded in real property	185,250,000us-gaap_CapitalLeasedAssetsGross
Outstanding construction financings for leased properties	186,327,000us-gaap_DevelopmentInProcess	141,085,000us-gaap_DevelopmentInProcess
Accumulated Depreciation assets under capital lease recorded in real property	17,953,000
Unfunded Commitment Secured Bridge Facility	$ 360,000,000

Additional financing to complete construction.

No definition available.

Name:	hcn_AdditionalFinancingToCompleteConstruction
Namespace Prefix:	hcn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	hcn_CommitmentsAndContingenciesTextualsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	hcn_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of outstanding letters of credit.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcn_NumberOfOutstandingLettersOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	hcn_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

An unfunded commitment related to a secured bridge facility.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcn_UnfundedCommitmentSecuredBridgeFacility
Namespace Prefix:	hcn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before accumulated depreciation of leased physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasedAssetsGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The total charge for the use of long-lived depreciable assets subject to a lease meeting the criteria for capitalization.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6455314&loc=d3e45014-112735

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 10

-Section 55

-Paragraph 40

-Subparagraph (Note 2)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesLesseeBalanceSheetAssetsByMajorClassAccumulatedDeprecation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The current amount of expenditures for a real estate project that has not yet been completed.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.10)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The total amount of the contingent obligation under letters of credit outstanding as of the reporting date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 10

-Section 55

-Paragraph 40

-Subparagraph (Note 3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractually required future rental payments receivable on noncancelable subleasing arrangements.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueFutureMinimumSubleaseRentals
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement in which the entity has agreed to expend funds to procure goods or services from a supplier.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant