Commitments And Contingencies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments And Contingencies	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Bickford At December 31, 2013, our subsidiary PropCo had purchased land and begun construction on one assisted living facility having a maximum cost of $9,000,000. Our costs incurred to date, including land, were $2,712,000. NHI entered into a commitment of $2,785,000 on a letter of credit for the benefit of our joint venture partner, an affiliate of Bickford, on February 6, 2014. Chancellor In October 2013, we entered into a $7,500,000 commitment to build a 46-unit free-standing assisted living and memory care community, expanding our Linda Valley senior living campus in Loma Linda, California. We expect to begin construction during the first quarter of 2014. The initial lease term is for 15 years at an annual rate of 9% plus a fixed annual escalator. NHI purchased the Linda Valley campus in 2012 and leased it to Chancellor Health Care, who has been operating the campus since 1993. We also committed to provide up to $500,000 for renovations and improvements related to our recent acquisition of a 63-unit senior housing community in Baltimore, Maryland which we have leased to Chancellor Health Care. We expect to begin renovations during the first quarter of 2014. Fundamental In April 2013, we completed the purchase of two skilled nursing facilities located in Canton and Corinth, Texas for a purchase price of $26,150,000 in cash, plus consideration related to the Corinth facility of $1,600,000 conditional upon the achievement of certain operating metrics, which continued to be probable as of December 31, 2013. 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, a general acute care hospital in Jackson, Kentucky. This investment will be added to the basis on which the lease amount is calculated. The construction project commenced during the first quarter of 2013 and is expected to continue over two years. Total construction costs incurred as of December 31, 2013 were $5,838,000. The 10-year lease extension began July 1, 2012, with an additional 5-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, including consideration of $5,478,000 which was contingent on the achievement of certain operating metrics. In December 2012, we funded $2,222,000 of this contingent consideration. We had previously anticipated the remaining $3,256,000, which was recorded as a purchase liability, to be funded. During the quarter ended December 31, 2013, we determined that Legend had not achieved the required operating metrics and therefore would not qualify for this remaining consideration. As a result, we have recorded a gain of $3,256,000 on the settlement of this purchase liability and have included this amount in investment and other gains in our Consolidated Statements of Income. Santé We have a $2,000,000 supplemental construction commitment to our borrower, Santé Partners, LLC (“Santé”). This additional loan amount becomes available to the borrower when the 70-bed transitional rehabilitation hospital, completed in March 2011, 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 had previously committed to fund a $3,500,000 expansion and renovation program in connection with our August 2012 acquisition of the senior living campus in Silverdale, Washington leased to Santé. As of December 31, 2013, we had fully funded this commitment, which was added to the basis on which the lease amount is calculated. Also in connection with our Silverdale, Washington senior living campus, we have a contingent commitment to fund two lease inducement payments of $1,000,000 each. Santé would earn the payments upon obtaining, and maintaining, a specified lease coverage ratio. If earned, the first payment would be due after the second lease year and the second payment would be due after the third lease year. At acquisition, the likelihood that we would incur the contingent payments was not considered probable. Accordingly, no provision for these payments is reflected in the consolidated financial statements. 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. Discovery As a lease inducement, we have a contingent commitment to fund a series of payments up to $2,500,000 in connection with our September 2013 lease to Discovery of a senior living campus in Rainbow City, Alabama. Discovery would earn the contingent payments upon obtaining, and maintaining, a specified lease coverage ratio. As earned, the payments would be due in installments of $750,000 in each of years two and three of the lease with the residual due in year four. As of December 31, 2013, the likelihood that we would incur the contingent payments was not considered probable. Accordingly, no provision for these payments is reflected in the consolidated financial statements. Litigation Our Health Care Facilities are subject to claims and suits in the ordinary course of business. Our lessees and borrowers have indemnified, and are obligated to continue to indemnify us, against all liabilities arising from the operation of the Health Care Facilities, and are further obligated to indemnify us against environmental or title problems affecting the real estate underlying such facilities. While there may be lawsuits pending against certain of the owners and/or lessees of the Health Care Facilities, management believes that the ultimate resolution of all such pending proceedings will have no material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or 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 not-for-profit corporations. NHI has provided the OTAG with requested information and documents and has been working with the OTAG with respect to this investigation. The investigation with respect to one of the not-for-profit corporations was settled in 2009. A receiver had been appointed for the two remaining not-for-profit corporations, SeniorTrust of Florida, Inc. ("SeniorTrust") and ElderTrust of Florida, Inc ("ElderTrust"). As previously disclosed, the receiver of SeniorTrust and ElderTrust had caused those entities to bring lawsuits against NHI and NHC. In April 2013, NHI, NHC and the receiver for ElderTrust and SeniorTrust entered into a settlement agreement resolving all remaining issues. The settlement agreement also resolved the OTAG investigation and was approved by the Court on May 3, 2013. Thus, the investigation has now been resolved with respect to all three of the not-for-profit corporations. The settlement agreement provided that SeniorTrust pay NHI $15,000,000 in cash in full settlement of the notes receivable between NHI and SeniorTrust, which payment was made on June 27, 2013. The settlement agreement also provided that NHI purchase ElderTrust's seven skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. As consideration for the purchase from ElderTrust, NHI canceled a note receivable from ElderTrust with a principal balance of $13,741,000 and paid cash in the amount of $23,676,000, inclusive of closing costs. As discussed in further detail at Note 2, the purchase was completed on August 30, 2013. NHI has leased these facilities to NHC, the current operator.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Bickford

At December 31, 2013, our subsidiary PropCo had purchased land and begun construction on one assisted living facility having a maximum cost of $9,000,000. Our costs incurred to date, including land, were $2,712,000. NHI entered into a commitment of $2,785,000 on a letter of credit for the benefit of our joint venture partner, an affiliate of Bickford, on February 6, 2014.

Chancellor

In October 2013, we entered into a $7,500,000 commitment to build a 46-unit free-standing assisted living and memory care community, expanding our Linda Valley senior living campus in Loma Linda, California. We expect to begin construction during the first quarter of 2014. The initial lease term is for 15 years at an annual rate of 9% plus a fixed annual escalator. NHI purchased the Linda Valley campus in 2012 and leased it to Chancellor Health Care, who has been operating the campus since 1993. We also committed to provide up to $500,000 for renovations and improvements related to our recent acquisition of a 63-unit senior housing community in Baltimore, Maryland which we have leased to Chancellor Health Care. We expect to begin renovations during the first quarter of 2014.

Fundamental

In April 2013, we completed the purchase of two skilled nursing facilities located in Canton and Corinth, Texas for a purchase price of $26,150,000 in cash, plus consideration related to the Corinth facility of $1,600,000 conditional upon the achievement of certain operating metrics, which continued to be probable as of December 31, 2013.

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, a general acute care hospital in Jackson, Kentucky. This investment will be added to the basis on which the lease amount is calculated. The construction project commenced during the first quarter of 2013 and is expected to continue over two years. Total construction costs incurred as of December 31, 2013 were $5,838,000. The 10-year lease extension began July 1, 2012, with an additional 5-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, including consideration of $5,478,000 which was contingent on the achievement of certain operating metrics. In December 2012, we funded $2,222,000 of this contingent consideration. We had previously anticipated the remaining $3,256,000, which was recorded as a purchase liability, to be funded. During the quarter ended December 31, 2013, we determined that Legend had not achieved the required operating metrics and therefore would not qualify for this remaining consideration. As a result, we have recorded a gain of $3,256,000 on the settlement of this purchase liability and have included this amount in investment and other gains in our Consolidated Statements of Income.

Santé

We have a $2,000,000 supplemental construction commitment to our borrower, Santé Partners, LLC (“Santé”). This additional loan amount becomes available to the borrower when the 70-bed transitional rehabilitation hospital, completed in March 2011, 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 had previously committed to fund a $3,500,000 expansion and renovation program in connection with our August 2012 acquisition of the senior living campus in Silverdale, Washington leased to Santé. As of December 31, 2013, we had fully funded this commitment, which was added to the basis on which the lease amount is calculated. Also in connection with our Silverdale, Washington senior living campus, we have a contingent commitment to fund two lease inducement payments of $1,000,000 each. Santé would earn the payments upon obtaining, and maintaining, a specified lease coverage ratio. If earned, the first payment would be due after the second lease year and the second payment would be due after the third lease year. At acquisition, the likelihood that we would incur the contingent payments was not considered probable. Accordingly, no provision for these payments is reflected in the consolidated financial statements.

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.

Discovery

As a lease inducement, we have a contingent commitment to fund a series of payments up to $2,500,000 in connection with our September 2013 lease to Discovery of a senior living campus in Rainbow City, Alabama. Discovery would earn the contingent payments upon obtaining, and maintaining, a specified lease coverage ratio. As earned, the payments would be due in installments of $750,000 in each of years two and three of the lease with the residual due in year four. As of December 31, 2013, the likelihood that we would incur the contingent payments was not considered probable. Accordingly, no provision for these payments is reflected in the consolidated financial statements.

Litigation

Our Health Care Facilities are subject to claims and suits in the ordinary course of business. Our lessees and borrowers have indemnified, and are obligated to continue to indemnify us, against all liabilities arising from the operation of the Health Care Facilities, and are further obligated to indemnify us against environmental or title problems affecting the real estate underlying such facilities. While there may be lawsuits pending against certain of the owners and/or lessees of the Health Care Facilities, management believes that the ultimate resolution of all such pending proceedings will have no material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or 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 not-for-profit corporations. NHI has provided the OTAG with requested information and documents and has been working with the OTAG with respect to this investigation. The investigation with respect to one of the not-for-profit corporations was settled in 2009. A receiver had been appointed for the two remaining not-for-profit corporations, SeniorTrust of Florida, Inc. ("SeniorTrust") and ElderTrust of Florida, Inc ("ElderTrust"). As previously disclosed, the receiver of SeniorTrust and ElderTrust had caused those entities to bring lawsuits against NHI and NHC.

In April 2013, NHI, NHC and the receiver for ElderTrust and SeniorTrust entered into a settlement agreement resolving all remaining issues. The settlement agreement also resolved the OTAG investigation and was approved by the Court on May 3, 2013. Thus, the investigation has now been resolved with respect to all three of the not-for-profit corporations. The settlement agreement provided that SeniorTrust pay NHI $15,000,000 in cash in full settlement of the notes receivable between NHI and SeniorTrust, which payment was made on June 27, 2013.

The settlement agreement also provided that NHI purchase ElderTrust's seven skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. As consideration for the purchase from ElderTrust, NHI canceled a note receivable from ElderTrust with a principal balance of $13,741,000 and paid cash in the amount of $23,676,000, inclusive of closing costs. As discussed in further detail at Note 2, the purchase was completed on August 30, 2013. NHI has leased these facilities to NHC, the current operator.