Significant Accounting Policies Significant Accounting Policies (Schedule of Variable Interest Entities) (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)
Ensign Group [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Nonconsolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	$ 0
Variable Interest Entity, Reporting Entity Involvement, Maximum Loss Exposure, Amount	0
Straight-Line Rent Receivable [Member] \| Bickford / Sycamore [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Nonconsolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	21,196
Variable Interest Entity, Reporting Entity Involvement, Maximum Loss Exposure, Amount	39,528
Straight-Line Rent Receivable [Member] \| Senior Living Communities [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Nonconsolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	35,862
Variable Interest Entity, Reporting Entity Involvement, Maximum Loss Exposure, Amount	50,258
Straight-Line Rent Receivable [Member] \| East Lake Capital [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Nonconsolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	2,816
Variable Interest Entity, Reporting Entity Involvement, Maximum Loss Exposure, Amount	2,816
Straight-Line Rent Receivable [Member] \| Senior Living Management [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Nonconsolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	25,880
Variable Interest Entity, Reporting Entity Involvement, Maximum Loss Exposure, Amount	25,880
Straight-Line Rent Receivable [Member] \| Ravn Senior Solutions [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Nonconsolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	172
Variable Interest Entity, Reporting Entity Involvement, Maximum Loss Exposure, Amount	172
Straight-Line Rent Receivable [Member] \| Evolve Senior Living [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Nonconsolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	9,903
Variable Interest Entity, Reporting Entity Involvement, Maximum Loss Exposure, Amount	9,903
Notes Receivable [Member] \| Life Care Services [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Nonconsolidated, Carrying Amount, Assets	66,300
Variable Interest Entity, Reporting Entity Involvement, Maximum Loss Exposure, Amount	$ 73,852

The reporting entity's maximum amount of exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the Variable Interest Entity (VIE).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph b
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77990344&loc=d3e5728-111685

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77990344&loc=d3e5747-111685

+ Details

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Carrying amount of the assets in the reporting entity's statement of financial position that relate to the reporting entity's variable interest in the Variable Interest Entity (VIE), where the reporting entity is not the VIE's primary beneficiary.

+ References

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