Recent Accounting Pronouncements Recent Accounting Pronouncements	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]	RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS In May 2014 the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014-09 provides a principles-based approach for a broad range of revenue generating transactions, including the sale of real estate, which will generally require more estimates, judgment and disclosures than under current guidance. In August 2015 the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, which defers the effective date of ASU 2014-09. ASU 2014-09 is now effective for public entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods therein. The Company adopted this standard using the modified retrospective method on January 1, 2018. The ASU provides for revenues from leases to continue to follow the guidance in Topics 840 and 842 (when adopted) and provides for loans to follow established guidance in Topic 310. Because this ASU specifically excludes these areas of our operations from its scope, there was no impact to our accounting for lease revenue and interest income resulting from the ASU. Additionally, the other significant types of contracts in which we periodically engage, sales of real estate to customers, typically never remain executory across points in time. Because all performance obligations from these contracts can therefore be expected to continue to fall within a single period, the timing of our revenue recognition from future sales of real estate is not expected to be affected by the ASU. A number of practical expedients are available in applying the recognition and measurement principles within the standard, including those permitting the aggregation of contract revenues and costs with components of interest income or amortization expense whose period of aggregation, within parameters, is not considered to be of significant duration for separate treatment. We realized no significant revenues in 2017 or 2018 within the scope of ASU 2014-09, and, accordingly, adoption of the ASU did not have a material impact on the timing and measurement of the Company’s income. In February 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which has been codified under Topic 842. Public companies will be required to apply ASU 2016-02 for all accounting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. All leases with lease terms greater than one year are subject to ASU 2016-02, including leases in place as of the adoption date. The principal difference between Topic 842 and previous guidance is that, for lessees, lease assets and lease liabilities arising from operating leases will be recognized in the balance sheet. While, the accounting applied by a lessor is largely unchanged from that applied under previous GAAP, significant changes to lessor accounting have been made to align i) certain lessor and lessee accounting guidance, and ii) key aspects of the lessor accounting model with the revenue recognition guidance in Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which we adopted January 1, 2018. Under Topic 842 provisions promulgated to conform with Topic 606, the presence of a lessee purchase option can result in recording as a financing a transaction that would otherwise meet the requirements for lease accounting under previous guidance. As a result, NHI may explore different structures to continue to apply lease accounting rather than record a financing similar to a long-term note. The accounting treatment for sale-leaseback transactions will mirror the current guidance for lessees which may result in a financing transaction. Upon adoption the Company anticipates grossing up rental income for property taxes and insurance, currently paid by tenants. The Company will continue to evaluate the impact of Topic 842 on our consolidated financial statements. Consistent with present standards, upon the adoption of ASU 2016-02, NHI will continue to account for lease revenue on a straight-line basis for most leases. Also consistent with NHI’s current practice, under ASU 2016-02 only initial direct costs that are incremental to the lessor will be capitalized. We have made significant progress in evaluating the extent to which adopting the provisions of ASU 2016-02 in 2019 will affect NHI. In June 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. ASU 2016-13 will require more timely recognition of credit losses associated with financial assets. While current GAAP includes multiple credit impairment objectives for instruments, the previous objectives generally delayed recognition of the full amount of credit losses until the loss was probable of occurring. The amendments in ASU 2016-13, whose scope is asset-based and not restricted to financial institutions, eliminate the probable initial recognition threshold in current GAAP and, instead, reflect an entity’s current estimate of all expected credit losses. Previously, when credit losses were measured under GAAP, we generally only considered past events and current conditions in measuring the incurred loss. The amendments in ASU 2016-13 broaden the information that we must consider in developing our expected credit loss estimate for assets measured either collectively or individually. The use of forecasted information incorporates more timely information in the estimate of expected credit loss that will be more useful to users of the financial statements. ASU 2016-13 is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Because we are likely to continue to invest in loans and generate receivables, adoption of ASU 2016-13 in 2020 will have some effect on our accounting for these investments, though the nature of those effects will depend on the composition of our loan portfolio at that time; accordingly, we are in the initial stages of evaluating the extent of the effects, if any, that adopting the provisions of ASU 2016-13 in 2020 will have on NHI. In November 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Restricted Cash. ASU 2016-18 will require that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents, generally by requiring the inclusion of restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this ASU do not provide a definition of restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. ASU 2016-18 is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods. The adoption of ASU 2016-18 did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. In January 2017 the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Clarifying the Definition of a Business. ASU 2017-01 narrowed the definition of a business in evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. Under the current implementation guidance in Topic 805, there are three elements of a business-inputs, processes, and outputs. Currently the definition of outputs contributes to broad interpretations of the definition of a business. Additionally, the standard provides that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. For purposes of this test, land and buildings can be combined along with the intangible assets for any in-place leases. For most of NHI’s acquisitions of investment property, this screen would be met and, therefore, not meet the definition of a business. ASU 2017-01 became effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods. Early application of this standard is generally allowed for acquisitions acquired after the standard was issued but before the acquisition has been reflected in financial statements. We adopted the provisions of ASU 2017-01 in the first quarter of 2017. The adoption of ASU 2017-01 did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. Our acquisitions in 2018 and 2017 were accounted for as asset purchases. In August 2017 the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, which is available for early adoption in any interim period after issuance of the update, or alternatively requires adoption for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. The purpose of this updated guidance is to better align a company’s financial reporting for hedging activities with the economic objectives of those activities. On January 1, 2018, we adopted ASU 2017-12 Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, among whose provisions is a change in the timing and income statement line item for ineffectiveness related to cash flow hedges. The transition method is a modified retrospective approach that will require the Company to recognize the cumulative effect of initially applying the ASU as an adjustment to accumulated other comprehensive income with a corresponding adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings as of the beginning of the fiscal year that we adopt the update. The primary provision in the ASU requiring an adjustment to our beginning consolidated retained earnings is the change in timing and income statement line item for ineffectiveness related to cash flow hedges. As a result of the transition guidance provided in the ASU, as of January 1, 2018, cumulative ineffectiveness as adjusted for any prior off-market cashflow hedges was reclassified out of beginning retained earnings and into accumulated other comprehensive income. With the adoption of the ASU, the Company has achieved a better alignment of the Company’s financial reporting for hedging activities with the economic objectives of those activities.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In May 2014 the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014-09 provides a principles-based approach for a broad range of revenue generating transactions, including the sale of real estate, which will generally require more estimates, judgment and disclosures than under current guidance. In August 2015 the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, which defers the effective date of ASU 2014-09. ASU 2014-09 is now effective for public entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods therein.

The Company adopted this standard using the modified retrospective method on January 1, 2018. The ASU provides for revenues from leases to continue to follow the guidance in Topics 840 and 842 (when adopted) and provides for loans to follow established guidance in Topic 310. Because this ASU specifically excludes these areas of our operations from its scope, there was no impact to our accounting for lease revenue and interest income resulting from the ASU. Additionally, the other significant types of contracts in which we periodically engage, sales of real estate to customers, typically never remain executory across points in time. Because all performance obligations from these contracts can therefore be expected to continue to fall within a single period, the timing of our revenue recognition from future sales of real estate is not expected to be affected by the ASU. A number of practical expedients are available in applying the recognition and measurement principles within the standard, including those permitting the aggregation of contract revenues and costs with components of interest income or amortization expense whose period of aggregation, within parameters, is not considered to be of significant duration for separate treatment. We realized no significant revenues in 2017 or 2018 within the scope of ASU 2014-09, and, accordingly, adoption of the ASU did not have a material impact on the timing and measurement of the Company’s income.

In February 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which has been codified under Topic 842. Public companies will be required to apply ASU 2016-02 for all accounting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. All leases with lease terms greater than one year are subject to ASU 2016-02, including leases in place as of the adoption date. The principal difference between Topic 842 and previous guidance is that, for lessees, lease assets and lease liabilities arising from operating leases will be recognized in the balance sheet. While, the accounting applied by a lessor is largely unchanged from that applied under previous GAAP, significant changes to lessor accounting have been made to align i) certain lessor and lessee accounting guidance, and ii) key aspects of the lessor accounting model with the revenue recognition guidance in Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which we adopted January 1, 2018. Under Topic 842 provisions promulgated to conform with Topic 606, the presence of a lessee purchase option can result in recording as a financing a transaction that would otherwise meet the requirements for lease accounting under previous guidance. As a result, NHI may explore different structures to continue to apply lease accounting rather than record a financing similar to a long-term note. The accounting treatment for sale-leaseback transactions will mirror the current guidance for lessees which may result in a financing transaction. Upon adoption the Company anticipates grossing up rental income for property taxes and insurance, currently paid by tenants.

The Company will continue to evaluate the impact of Topic 842 on our consolidated financial statements. Consistent with present standards, upon the adoption of ASU 2016-02, NHI will continue to account for lease revenue on a straight-line basis for most leases. Also consistent with NHI’s current practice, under ASU 2016-02 only initial direct costs that are incremental to the lessor will be capitalized. We have made significant progress in evaluating the extent to which adopting the provisions of ASU 2016-02 in 2019 will affect NHI.

In June 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. ASU 2016-13 will require more timely recognition of credit losses associated with financial assets. While current GAAP includes multiple credit impairment objectives for instruments, the previous objectives generally delayed recognition of the full amount of credit losses until the loss was probable of occurring. The amendments in ASU 2016-13, whose scope is asset-based and not restricted to financial institutions, eliminate the probable initial recognition threshold in current GAAP and, instead, reflect an entity’s current estimate of all expected credit losses. Previously, when credit losses were measured under GAAP, we generally only considered past events and current conditions in measuring the incurred loss. The amendments in ASU 2016-13 broaden the information that we must consider in developing our expected credit loss estimate for assets measured either collectively or individually. The use of forecasted information incorporates more timely information in the estimate of expected credit loss that will be more useful to users of the financial statements. ASU 2016-13 is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Because we are likely to continue to invest in loans and generate receivables, adoption of ASU 2016-13 in 2020 will have some effect on our accounting for these investments, though the nature of those effects will depend on the composition of our loan portfolio at that time; accordingly, we are in the initial stages of evaluating the extent of the effects, if any, that adopting the provisions of ASU 2016-13 in 2020 will have on NHI.

In November 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Restricted Cash. ASU 2016-18 will require that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents, generally by requiring the inclusion of restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this ASU do not provide a definition of restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. ASU 2016-18 is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods. The adoption of ASU 2016-18 did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017 the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Clarifying the Definition of a Business. ASU 2017-01 narrowed the definition of a business in evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. Under the current implementation guidance in Topic 805, there are three elements of a business-inputs, processes, and outputs. Currently the definition of outputs contributes to broad interpretations of the definition of a business. Additionally, the standard provides that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. For purposes of this test, land and buildings can be combined along with the intangible assets for any in-place leases. For most of NHI’s acquisitions of investment property, this screen would be met and, therefore, not meet the definition of a business. ASU 2017-01 became effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods. Early application of this standard is generally allowed for acquisitions acquired after the standard was issued but before the acquisition has been reflected in financial statements. We adopted the provisions of ASU 2017-01 in the first quarter of 2017. The adoption of ASU 2017-01 did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. Our acquisitions in 2018 and 2017 were accounted for as asset purchases.

In August 2017 the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, which is available for early adoption in any interim period after issuance of the update, or alternatively requires adoption for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. The purpose of this updated guidance is to better align a company’s financial reporting for hedging activities with the economic objectives of those activities.

On January 1, 2018, we adopted ASU 2017-12 Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, among whose provisions is a change in the timing and income statement line item for ineffectiveness related to cash flow hedges. The transition method is a modified retrospective approach that will require the Company to recognize the cumulative effect of initially applying the ASU as an adjustment to accumulated other comprehensive income with a corresponding adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings as of the beginning of the fiscal year that we adopt the update. The primary provision in the ASU requiring an adjustment to our beginning consolidated retained earnings is the change in timing and income statement line item for ineffectiveness related to cash flow hedges. As a result of the transition guidance provided in the ASU, as of January 1, 2018, cumulative ineffectiveness as adjusted for any prior off-market cashflow hedges was reclassified out of beginning retained earnings and into accumulated other comprehensive income. With the adoption of the ASU, the Company has achieved a better alignment of the Company’s financial reporting for hedging activities with the economic objectives of those activities.