Commitments And Contingencies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract]
Commitments And Contingencies	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Bickford In conjunction with the arrangement with Bickford, we have been granted the exclusive right to their future acquisitions, development projects and refinancing transactions. At December 31, 2012, we had purchased land and begun construction on three assisted living facilities having a maximum cost of $27,000,000. Our costs incurred to date, including land, were $4,016,000. The operating company, OpCo, is charged an annual lease rate of 9% on the total cost of the new facilities, plus an annual fixed escalator. In a separate arrangement with Bickford, NHI has provided a three-year, $3,000,000 revolving credit facility to Bickford to fund the market feasibility and pre-construction costs related to the new development projects. Outstanding borrowings on the facility amounted to $36,000 at December 31, 2012. Kentucky River In March 2012, we entered into a long-term lease extension and construction commitment to Jackson Hospital Corporation, an affiliate of Community Health Systems, to provide up to $8,000,000 for extensive renovations and additions to our Kentucky River Medical Center ("Kentucky River"), a general acute care hospital in Jackson, Kentucky. This investment will be added to the lease basis on which the lease amount is calculated. The construction project is expected to commence in 2013 and continue over two years. The lease extension is for an initial period of ten years beginning July 1, 2012, plus one five-year renewal option. Legend Healthcare In October 2011, we completed a purchase/leaseback of four skilled nursing facilities in Texas with affiliates of Legend Healthcare, LLC (“Legend”) for $55,278,000 which included contingent consideration of $5,478,000. In December 2012, as a result of Legend's attainment of certain required operating metrics, we funded $2,222,000 of this contingent consideration. We expect the remaining $3,256,000, which is recorded as a purchase liability, to be funded prior to December 31, 2014. Santé In June 2010, we entered into a construction loan commitment to provide up to $13,870,000 to Santé for the development and construction of a 70-bed transitional rehabilitation hospital with a skilled nursing license in Mesa, Arizona. The facility opened in March 2011. The $13,870,000 commitment includes an unfunded $2,000,000 supplemental draw available to the borrower when the facility achieves certain operating metrics. NHI also has the option to purchase and lease back the hospital when it achieves a predetermined level of stabilized net operating income. We have committed to fund a $3,500,000 expansion and renovation program in connection with our acquisition of the senior living campus in Silverdale, Washington leased to Santé. Helix Healthcare In March 2010, we completed a purchase/leaseback transaction with Helix Healthcare (“Helix”) for $12,500,000. The purchase price includes a conditional payment of $1,000,000 which is recorded as a purchase liability. Capital Funding Group We have agreed to fund up to $15,000,000 on a three-year revolving credit facility with Capital Funding Group ("CFG") with monthly payments of interest only at an annual rate of 13.5%. At December 31, 2012, outstanding borrowings on the note were $15,000,000. Litigation The health care facilities in which we have investments of leases or loans are subject to claims and suits in the ordinary course of business. Our lessees and mortgagors have indemnified, and will continue to indemnify, us against all liabilities arising from the operation of the health care facilities and will indemnify us against environmental or title problems affecting the real estate underlying such facilities. While there are lawsuits pending against certain of the owners and/or lessees of the health care facilities, management believes that the ultimate resolution of all pending proceedings will have no material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. As previously disclosed, in November 2008 the Company was served with a Civil Investigative Demand by the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General (“OTAG”), which indicated that the OTAG was investigating transactions between the Company and three Tennessee nonprofit corporations. NHI has provided the OTAG with requested information and documents and has been working with the OTAG with respect to this investigation. All issues have been resolved with respect to one of the nonprofit corporations, Care Foundation of America, Inc. A receiver has been appointed for each of the other two nonprofit corporations, SeniorTrust of Florida, Inc. and ElderTrust of Florida, Inc. The receiver of each of SeniorTrust and ElderTrust is charged with winding-up the affairs of those entities, which will include the sale of those assets that secure the financing provided to each entity by NHI. As disclosed in our Form 8-K filed September 7, 2012, the receiver of SeniorTrust has caused SeniorTrust to bring a lawsuit against NHI and another party (Davidson Co. Tenn. Chancery Court Case No. 12-1275-III). As part of the complaint, SeniorTrust asserts claims that primarily arise from an allegation that the terms of a 2004 transaction in which NHI sold a group of nursing homes in Kansas and Missouri to SeniorTrust, with NHI providing 100% financing of the purchase price, were unfair to SeniorTrust. SeniorTrust also alleges that NHI caused SeniorTrust to enter into other transactions on terms adverse to SeniorTrust. SeniorTrust seeks compensatory and punitive damages and other relief. NHI has denied SeniorTrust's claims and intends to vigorously defend against SeniorTrust's complaint. NHI also has asserted a counterclaim seeking payment in full of SeniorTrust's outstanding debt to NHI upon the receiver's sale of the assets that secure that debt. As disclosed in our Form 8-K filed January 18, 2013, the receiver of ElderTrust has caused ElderTrust to bring a lawsuit against NHI and another party (Davidson Co., Tenn. Chancery Court Case No. 13-0060-IV). ElderTrust asserts claims that primarily arise from an allegation that the terms of the 2001 transaction in which NHI sold seven nursing homes in New Hampshire and Massachusetts to ElderTrust, with NHI providing 100% of the financing of the purchase price, were unfair to ElderTrust and that NHI caused ElderTrust to enter into other transactions on adverse terms. ElderTrust seeks compensatory and punitive damages and other relief. NHI denies ElderTrust's claims and intends to vigorously defend against ElderTrust's complaint. In addition, ElderTrust had been making timely principal and interest payments to NHI in the amount of $308,333.33 per month for the last five years. However, the payments NHI received from ElderTrust for January and February 2013 were for interest only. NHI filed a motion in (Davidson Co., Tenn. Chancery Court Case No. 12-1283-IV(III)) asserting that ElderTrust's receiver has put ElderTrust in breach of its obligation to NHI by reducing its monthly payment and requested that the Court authorize NHI to declare ElderTrust and its affiliated LLCs in default of their debt obligation and to pursue the default remedies provided for in the loan documents. On February 13, 2013, the Court denied this motion. During the 2012, one of our subsidiaries reached a settlement regarding the final tax return for the operations acquired through foreclosure and agreed to settle a claim for personal injury in relation to a matter which arose prior to our acquisition of the subsidiary. These settlements resulted in charges against income in the amounts of $180,000 and $275,000, respectively.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Bickford

In conjunction with the arrangement with Bickford, we have been granted the exclusive right to their future acquisitions, development projects and refinancing transactions. At December 31, 2012, we had purchased land and begun construction on three assisted living facilities having a maximum cost of $27,000,000. Our costs incurred to date, including land, were $4,016,000. The operating company, OpCo, is charged an annual lease rate of 9% on the total cost of the new facilities, plus an annual fixed escalator. In a separate arrangement with Bickford, NHI has provided a three-year, $3,000,000 revolving credit facility to Bickford to fund the market feasibility and pre-construction costs related to the new development projects. Outstanding borrowings on the facility amounted to $36,000 at December 31, 2012.

Kentucky River

In March 2012, we entered into a long-term lease extension and construction commitment to Jackson Hospital Corporation, an affiliate of Community Health Systems, to provide up to $8,000,000 for extensive renovations and additions to our Kentucky River Medical Center ("Kentucky River"), a general acute care hospital in Jackson, Kentucky. This investment will be added to the lease basis on which the lease amount is calculated. The construction project is expected to commence in 2013 and continue over two years. The lease extension is for an initial period of ten years beginning July 1, 2012, plus one five-year renewal option.

Legend Healthcare

In October 2011, we completed a purchase/leaseback of four skilled nursing facilities in Texas with affiliates of Legend Healthcare, LLC (“Legend”) for $55,278,000 which included contingent consideration of $5,478,000. In December 2012, as a result of Legend's attainment of certain required operating metrics, we funded $2,222,000 of this contingent consideration. We expect the remaining $3,256,000, which is recorded as a purchase liability, to be funded prior to December 31, 2014.

Santé

In June 2010, we entered into a construction loan commitment to provide up to $13,870,000 to Santé for the development and construction of a 70-bed transitional rehabilitation hospital with a skilled nursing license in Mesa, Arizona. The facility opened in March 2011. The $13,870,000 commitment includes an unfunded $2,000,000 supplemental draw available to the borrower when the facility achieves certain operating metrics. NHI also has the option to purchase and lease back the hospital when it achieves a predetermined level of stabilized net operating income.

We have committed to fund a $3,500,000 expansion and renovation program in connection with our acquisition of the senior living campus in Silverdale, Washington leased to Santé.

Helix Healthcare

In March 2010, we completed a purchase/leaseback transaction with Helix Healthcare (“Helix”) for $12,500,000. The purchase price includes a conditional payment of $1,000,000 which is recorded as a purchase liability.

Capital Funding Group

We have agreed to fund up to $15,000,000 on a three-year revolving credit facility with Capital Funding Group ("CFG") with monthly payments of interest only at an annual rate of 13.5%. At December 31, 2012, outstanding borrowings on the note were $15,000,000.

Litigation

The health care facilities in which we have investments of leases or loans are subject to claims and suits in the ordinary course of business. Our lessees and mortgagors have indemnified, and will continue to indemnify, us against all liabilities arising from the operation of the health care facilities and will indemnify us against environmental or title problems affecting the real estate underlying such facilities. While there are lawsuits pending against certain of the owners and/or lessees of the health care facilities, management believes that the ultimate resolution of all pending proceedings will have no material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

As previously disclosed, in November 2008 the Company was served with a Civil Investigative Demand by the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General (“OTAG”), which indicated that the OTAG was investigating transactions between the Company and three Tennessee nonprofit corporations. NHI has provided the OTAG with requested information and documents and has been working with the OTAG with respect to this investigation. All issues have been resolved with respect to one of the nonprofit corporations, Care Foundation of America, Inc. A receiver has been appointed for each of the other two nonprofit corporations, SeniorTrust of Florida, Inc. and ElderTrust of Florida, Inc. The receiver of each of SeniorTrust and ElderTrust is charged with winding-up the affairs of those entities, which will include the sale of those assets that secure the financing provided to each entity by NHI. As disclosed in our Form 8-K filed September 7, 2012, the receiver of SeniorTrust has caused SeniorTrust to bring a lawsuit against NHI and another party (Davidson Co. Tenn. Chancery Court Case No. 12-1275-III). As part of the complaint, SeniorTrust asserts claims that primarily arise from an allegation that the terms of a 2004 transaction in which NHI sold a group of nursing homes in Kansas and Missouri to SeniorTrust, with NHI providing 100% financing of the purchase price, were unfair to SeniorTrust. SeniorTrust also alleges that NHI caused SeniorTrust to enter into other transactions on terms adverse to SeniorTrust. SeniorTrust seeks compensatory and punitive damages and other relief. NHI has denied SeniorTrust's claims and intends to vigorously defend against SeniorTrust's complaint. NHI also has asserted a counterclaim seeking payment in full of SeniorTrust's outstanding debt to NHI upon the receiver's sale of the assets that secure that debt.

As disclosed in our Form 8-K filed January 18, 2013, the receiver of ElderTrust has caused ElderTrust to bring a lawsuit against NHI and another party (Davidson Co., Tenn. Chancery Court Case No. 13-0060-IV). ElderTrust asserts claims that primarily arise from an allegation that the terms of the 2001 transaction in which NHI sold seven nursing homes in New Hampshire and Massachusetts to ElderTrust, with NHI providing 100% of the financing of the purchase price, were unfair to ElderTrust and that NHI caused ElderTrust to enter into other transactions on adverse terms. ElderTrust seeks compensatory and punitive damages and other relief. NHI denies ElderTrust's claims and intends to vigorously defend against ElderTrust's complaint. In addition, ElderTrust had been making timely principal and interest payments to NHI in the amount of $308,333.33 per month for the last five years. However, the payments NHI received from ElderTrust for January and February 2013 were for interest only. NHI filed a motion in (Davidson Co., Tenn. Chancery Court Case No. 12-1283-IV(III)) asserting that ElderTrust's receiver has put ElderTrust in breach of its obligation to NHI by reducing its monthly payment and requested that the Court authorize NHI to declare ElderTrust and its affiliated LLCs in default of their debt obligation and to pursue the default remedies provided for in the loan documents. On February 13, 2013, the Court denied this motion.

During the 2012, one of our subsidiaries reached a settlement regarding the final tax return for the operations acquired through foreclosure and agreed to settle a claim for personal injury in relation to a matter which arose prior to our acquisition of the subsidiary. These settlements resulted in charges against income in the amounts of $180,000 and $275,000, respectively.