Debt (Narrative) (Details)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) shares properties number_of_loans $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Debt Leverage Limit, Coupon Change, Trigger	50.00%
Credit Facility, Current Revolving Borrowing Capacity	$ 550,000,000
Derivative, Notional Amount	$ 610,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage	2000.00%
Debt Instrument, Variable Rate Basis, Minimum	9900.00%	17600.00%
Long-term Line of Credit	$ 408,000,000	$ 300,000,000
Number of Real Estate Properties \| properties	225
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Ratio	14.71
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price \| $ / shares	$ 67.97
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Number of Equity Instruments \| shares	882,792
Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) to be Reclassified During Next 12 Months, Net	$ 7,060,000
Derivative, Fair Value, Net		(3,433,000)
Convertible Debt	59,797,000	$ 59,697,000
Allocated to Debt [Member]
Repayments of Convertible Debt	60,000,000
$250M Term Loan [Member]
Term Loans, Outstanding Balance	250,000,000
$300M Term Loan [Member]
Term Loans, Outstanding Balance	$ 300,000,000
Debt Instrument, Name, Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	12000.00%
Unused balance of the unsecured revolving credit facility	$ 142,000,000
Bank Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	13200.00%
Variable Interest Rate Debt [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit	$ 348,000,000
Debt Instrument, Name, HUD Mortgages [Member]
Number of Real Estate Properties \| properties	10
Net Book Value of Real Estate Pledged Toward Mortgage	$ 48,717,000
Debt Instrument, Name, HUD Mortgages [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
SEC Schedule, 12-29, Real Estate Companies, Investment in Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Interest Rate	4.30%
Debt Instrument, Name, HUD Mortgages [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
SEC Schedule, 12-29, Real Estate Companies, Investment in Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Interest Rate	4.40%
Debt Instrument, HUD Mortgages, 2049 Maturity [Member]
SEC Schedule, 12-29, Real Estate Companies, Investment in Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Number of Loans \| number_of_loans	9
Debt Instrument, HUD Mortgages, 2047 Maturity [Member]
SEC Schedule, 12-29, Real Estate Companies, Investment in Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Number of Loans \| number_of_loans	1
Debt Instrument, Name, Fannie Mae Term Loans [Member]
Number of Real Estate Properties	13
Net Book Value of Real Estate Pledged Toward Mortgage	$ 133,117,000
SEC Schedule, 12-29, Real Estate Companies, Investment in Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Face Amount of Mortgages	$ 78,084,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.79%
Debt Instrument, Term	10 years
FNMA Berkadia Note [Member]
SEC Schedule, 12-29, Real Estate Companies, Investment in Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Face Amount of Mortgages	$ 17,534,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.60%
At Inception [Member]
Proceeds from convertible senior notes	$ 200,000,000
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Ratio	13.93
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price \| $ / shares	$ 71.81
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Number of Equity Instruments \| shares	2,785,200
Debt Instrument, Name, Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.25%
Convertible Debt Instrument, Conversion Ratio, Principal Amount, Basis	$ 1,000
Principal Amount [Member]
Convertible Debt	$ 60,000,000
Bickford Senior Living [Member]
Number of Real Estate Properties \| properties	48
Middletown, OH [Member] \| Bickford Senior Living [Member]
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Noncash Financial or Equity Instrument Consideration, Rate	2.90%
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Debt Assumed	$ 8,439,000
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Value of Liabilities Assumed	7,221,000
Interest Rate Swap(s), Date Entered, March & June 2019 [Member] \| Debt Instrument, Name, Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Derivative, Notional Amount	60,000,000
Interest Rate Swap(s), Date Entered, March & June 2019 [Member] \| Bank Term Loans [Member]
Derivative, Notional Amount	340,000,000
Interest Rate Swap, Date Entered, June 2013 [Member]
Derivative, Notional Amount	80,000,000
Interest Rate Swap, Date Entered, March 2014 [Member]
Derivative, Notional Amount	130,000,000
Interest Rate Swaps, Maturity Date, After June 2020 [Member]
Derivative, Notional Amount	$ 400,000,000

Convertible Debt Instrument, Conversion Ratio, Principal Amount, Basis

No definition available.

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

- Definition

Amount of current revolving borrowing capacity under the credit facility considering any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed (for example, borrowings may be limited by the amount of current assets), but without considering any amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	nhi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the contractual minimum for a variable rate basis such as LIBOR for a debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	nhi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the debt leverage limit that would trigger an increase in the interest rate to be paid on outstanding debt balances.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nhi_DebtLeverageLimitCouponChangeTrigger
Namespace Prefix:	nhi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This item represents the net book value of real estate pledged toward mortgage.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	nhi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This concept represents the outstanding balance of term loans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	nhi_
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Balance Type:	credit
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- Definition

Amount of contractual principal due at origination of mortgage loan within investment in mortgage loan on real estate by entity with substantial portion of business acquiring and holding investment real estate or interest in real estate.

+ References

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-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 12
-Paragraph Column F
-Subsection 29

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-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-29(Column F))
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- Definition

Interest rate of mortgage loan within investment in mortgage loan on real estate by entity with substantial portion of business acquiring and holding investment real estate or interest in real estate.

+ References

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-Publisher SEC
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- Definition

Number of mortgage loans within investment in mortgage loan on real estate by entity with substantial portion of business acquiring and holding investment real estate or interest in real estate.

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Including the current and noncurrent portions, carrying amount of debt identified as being convertible into another form of financial instrument (typically the entity's common stock) as of the balance sheet date, which originally required full repayment more than twelve months after issuance or greater than the normal operating cycle of the company.

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- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The price per share of the conversion feature embedded in the debt instrument.

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Ratio applied to the conversion of debt instrument into equity with equity shares divided by debt principal amount.

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- Definition

The number of equity instruments that the holder of the debt instrument would receive if the debt was converted to equity.

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Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
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- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Period of time between issuance and maturity of debt instrument, in PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Fair value of the assets less the liabilities of a derivative or group of derivatives.

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-Publisher FASB
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-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
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-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118260190&loc=d3e13433-108611

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Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

Nominal or face amount used to calculate payment on derivative.

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The estimated net amount of unrealized gains or losses on interest rate cash flow hedges as of the balance sheet date expected to be reclassified to earnings within the next twelve months.

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- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding).

+ References

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- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

+ References

No definition available.

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The amount of debt that an Entity assumes in acquiring a business or in consideration for an asset received in a noncash (or part noncash) acquisition. Noncash is defined as transactions during a period that affect recognized assets or liabilities but that do not result in cash receipts or cash payments in the period. "Part noncash" refers to that portion of the transaction not resulting in cash receipts or cash payments in the period.

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Dividend or interest rate associated with the financial or equity instrument issued as noncash or part noncash consideration for a business or asset acquired. Noncash are transactions that affect recognized assets or liabilities but that do not result in cash receipts or cash payments. Part noncash refers to that portion of the transaction not resulting in cash receipts or cash payments.

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The total amount of [all] liabilities that an Entity assumes in acquiring a business or in consideration for an asset received in a noncash (or part noncash) acquisition. Noncash is defined as transactions during a period that affect recognized assets or liabilities but that do not result in cash receipts or cash payments in the period. "Part noncash" refers to that portion of the transaction not resulting in cash receipts or cash payments in the period.

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- Definition

The number of real estate properties owned as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The cash inflow from the issuance of a long-term debt instrument which can be exchanged for a specified amount of another security, typically the entity's common stock, at the option of the issuer or the holder.

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The cash outflow from the repayment of a long-term debt instrument which can be exchanged for a specified amount of another security, typically the entity's common stock, at the option of the issuer or the holder.

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