Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance, January 1	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Charged to Cost and Expense	0	0	0
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Deductions	0	0	0
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Balance, December 31	0	0	0
Loan and realty losses (recoveries), net	0nhi_LoanandLeaseLossesandRecoveriesNet	1,976,000nhi_LoanandLeaseLossesandRecoveriesNet	(2,195,000)nhi_LoanandLeaseLossesandRecoveriesNet
Mortgage Loans On Real Estate, Impairment	0nhi_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateImpairment	4,037,000nhi_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateImpairment	2,300,000nhi_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateImpairment
Allowance for Loan and Lease Loss, Recovery of Bad Debts		$ 2,061,000	$ 4,495,000

This item represents the amount of loan and realty impairments net of any applicable gains or recoveries.

No definition available.

Name:	nhi_LoanandLeaseLossesandRecoveriesNet
Namespace Prefix:	nhi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the total amount of other than temporary impairment charges taken during the current period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nhi_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateImpairment
Namespace Prefix:	nhi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	nhi_ScheduleIIValuationandQualifyingAccountsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	nhi_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of recovery of loans and lease receivables which had previously been fully or partially written-off as bad debts.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 11B

-Subparagraph (c)(4)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=SL6953423-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossRecoveryOfBadDebts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total of allowances and reserves, the valuation and qualifying accounts that are either netted against the cost of an asset (in order to value it at its carrying value) or that reflect a liability established to represent expected future costs.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 4

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e24092-122690

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 09

-Article 12

+ Details

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

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesChargedToCostAndExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total of the deductions in a given period to allowances and reserves, the valuation and qualifying accounts that are either netted against the cost of an asset (in order to value it at its carrying value) or that reflect a liability established to represent expected future costs, representing receivables written off as uncollectible and portions of the reserves utilized, respectively.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesDeductions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration