Debt (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Nov. 30, 2011 Cancelled Credit Facility [Member]	Nov. 02, 2011 Cancelled Credit Facility [Member]	May 01, 2012 Line of Credit Facility, 2012 Modification [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Line of Credit Facility, 2012 Modification [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Debt Instrument, Name, 5 Year Term Loan [Member] Line of Credit Facility, 2012 Modification [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Debt Instrument, Name, 5 Year Term Loan [Member] Line of Credit Facility, 2012 Modification [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Debt Instrument, Name, Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Debt Instrument, Name, Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Line of Credit Facility, 2012 Modification [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Debt Instrument, Name, Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Line of Credit Facility, 2012 Modification [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Debt Instrument, Name, 5 & 7 year Term Loan [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Debt Instrument, Name, 7 Year Term Loan [Member] Line of Credit Facility, 2012 Modification [Member]	May 01, 2012 Debt Instrument, Name, 7 Year Term Loan [Member] Line of Credit Facility, 2012 Modification [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Debt Instrument, Name, 7 Year Term Loan [Member] Line of Credit Facility, 2012 Modification [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Acquisition Bickford Senior Living [Member]
Interest expense	$ 772,000	$ 561,000	$ 1,938,000	$ 1,597,000
Amortization of loan costs	82,000	32,000	238,000	109,000
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity							200,000,000		320,000,000
Term Loans, Outstanding Balance									175,000,000	80,000,000								40,000,000
Debt Maturity, Years						4,000					5		5			7
Number of basis points over LIBOR						150				140			140			150
Revolving credit facility interest rate																			3.22%
Increase in total credit facility								450,000,000
Credit Facility, Current Revolving Borrowing Capacity														200,000,000
Borrowings on term loan			120,000,000	50,000,000
Derivative, Fixed Interest Rate																	3.04%		4.50%
Unused balance of the unsecured revolving credit facility												145,000,000
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate																			300.00%
Interest Expense	854,000	1,781,000	2,176,000	2,628,000
Credit Facility Expansion, Amount								130,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Basis Points						35						35
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs			753,000	0
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Combined Amount	194,250,000		194,250,000		97,300,000							55,000,000			120,000,000
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, End, Extension														1
Change in fair value of interest rate swap agreement	0	(1,188,000)	0	(922,000)
Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Liability at Fair Value	$ 1,343,000		$ 1,343,000