Real Estate (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended																9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012 properties	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 properties	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Jan. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 National HealthCare Corporation [Member] Y properties renewalOptions	Sep. 30, 2011 National HealthCare Corporation [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 National HealthCare Corporation [Member] Y properties renewalOptions	Sep. 30, 2011 National HealthCare Corporation [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member] properties	Sep. 30, 2012 Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member] properties	Sep. 30, 2011 Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Kentucky River [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Current year National HealthCare Corporation [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Current year National HealthCare Corporation [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Current year National HealthCare Corporation [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Current year National HealthCare Corporation [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Final determination based on prior year revenues [Member] National HealthCare Corporation [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Final determination based on prior year revenues [Member] National HealthCare Corporation [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Final determination based on prior year revenues [Member] National HealthCare Corporation [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Final determination based on prior year revenues [Member] National HealthCare Corporation [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Kentucky River Commitment [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Subleased Facilities [Member] National HealthCare Corporation [Member] properties	Mar. 31, 2012 Bickford Commitment [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Bickford Commitment [Member] beds_or_units Y properties	Oct. 01, 2012 Acquisition Polaris Hospital Company [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Acquisition Polaris Hospital Company [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Acquisition Polaris Hospital Company [Member] beds_or_units	Jun. 11, 2012 Acquisition Legend Healthcare [Member] beds_or_units	Oct. 31, 2011 Acquisition Legend Healthcare [Member] properties	Oct. 31, 2011 Acquisition Legend Healthcare [Member] Contingent Payment [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 Acquisition Sante Partners [Member] beds_or_units	Sep. 30, 2012 Acquisition Chancellor Health Care [Member] beds_or_units	Mar. 31, 2010 Acquisition Helix Healthcare [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Acquisition Bickford Senior Living [Member] beds_or_units properties	Aug. 31, 2011 Disposal [Member] beds_or_units	Jan. 31, 2011 Disposal [Member]	Feb. 28, 2011 Disposal [Member] Current Tenant of 2 MOB's [Member] properties	Aug. 31, 2011 Disposal [Member] ALF in Daytona [Member] beds_or_units	Sep. 30, 2012 Minnesota [Member] properties beds_or_units	Sep. 30, 2012 Minnesota [Member] Lease Transition, New Tenant [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Minnesota [Member] Lease Transition, Old Tenant [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Purchase Option Tenant Granted [Member] Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member] properties	Sep. 30, 2012 Accumulated Depreciation [Member] Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Building and Building Improvements [Member] Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Land [Member] Fundamental Long Term Care Holdings [Member]
Number of Development Projects per Year																										3
Number of Real Estate Properties	109		109				41		41		5	5												4							4					2			2		4			3
Purchase Option Amount											$ 18,500,000	$ 18,500,000
Carrying value of assets reclassified from held for sale to held and used											29,381,000	29,381,000																																	(9,942,000)	37,588,000	1,735,000
Depreciation, Continuing Operations	5,892,000	2,930,000	12,653,000	8,729,000							2,398,000
Decrease in Lease Payments, Tenant Transition	450,000		434,000
Loans and Leases Receivable, Description																									3
Loans and Leases Receivable, Commitments, Fixed Rates																									3,000,000
Land	62,693,000		62,693,000		49,114,000
Less accumulated depreciation	(169,293,000)		(169,293,000)		(146,698,000)
Number of additional lease renewal options							3		3					1
Term of the lease renewal option period in years							5		5					5
Percentage Rent Rate									0.04
Operating Leases, Income Statement, Lease Revenue	22,285,000	19,975,000	64,905,000	59,868,000					27,584,000	27,156,000		3,717,000	3,610,000																												939,000
Percentage rent							415,000	415,000	2,309,000	1,881,000					415,000	415,000	1,246,000	1,246,000	0	0	1,063,000	635,000
Number of Real Estate Properties To Be Constructed																										8
Construction Commitment Period in Years																							2			3
Lease Extension Period in Years											3	3		10
Percent of rental income recognized from tenants									43.00%	45.00%
Base rent revenue							33,700,000																																			2,338,000	2,204,000
Significant acquisitions and disposals, acquisition costs or sale proceeds																															55,278,000	5,478,000	25,120,000	12,000,000	12,500,000	52,667,000	3,200,000	4,500,000	5,271,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid																														13,470,000
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Transaction Costs																														95,000
Number of Units in Real Estate Property																																	138	181		170	60			60	126
Age of Facilities Years Range Begin																																									4
Age of Facilities Years Range End																																									8
Number of years in initial lease term																													15	15			15	15							13
Initial Lease Amount											4,989,000	4,989,000																					1,957,000
Capital Improvements Commitment																																	3,500,000
Real Estate Investment Property, at Cost	688,772,000		688,772,000		541,493,000																							19,022,000
Initial lease rate																											10.00%			9.00%			8.30%	9.00%
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Land																														1,096,000				1,200,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Buildings and Improvement																														12,279,000				10,500,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Equipment																																		300,000
Assets held for sale, net	0		0		29,381,000																																		3,433,000
Carrying value of assets sold						4,039,000																															2,152,000
Significant development and lease transactions																							8,000,000						21,500,000
Expected Construction Commencement Year																							2012
Number of beds in real estate property																										60			60	125
Total Average Cost of Building Commitment																										9,000,000
Construction in Progress, Gross	718,000		718,000		4,983,000
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties, Net of Applicable Income Taxes	0	1,048,000	0	3,348,000
Accumulated straight-line rent adjustment, write-off	963,000
Lease Receivable, Write Off	126,000
Other Restructuring Costs	171,000
Supplemental Rental Income, Initial Lease Year																																									$ 410,000