Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012 Mortgage Loans property	Jun. 30, 2011 Skilled Nursing property bed	Jun. 30, 2012 Skilled Nursing Mortgage Loans property	Jul. 31, 2012 Skilled Nursing Texas Mortgage Loans item	Jul. 31, 2012 Skilled Nursing California Y	Jun. 30, 2012 144-bed skilled nursing property Texas	Jun. 30, 2012 144-bed skilled nursing property SNF Beds Texas Unit	Jun. 30, 2012 Other Senior Housing Mortgage Loans property	Jun. 30, 2012 Memory care property Colorado Y item	Jul. 31, 2012 Memory care property 60-unit free-standing, private-pay memory care property Colorado Unit	Jun. 30, 2012 Memory care property 60-unit free-standing, private-pay memory care property Colorado Unit	Jul. 31, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 3/31/13 Skilled Nursing property	Jun. 30, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 3/31/13 Skilled Nursing property	Jun. 30, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 3/31/13 Skilled Nursing property	Jul. 31, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 12/1/13 UDP units	Jun. 30, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 12/1/13 UDP units	Jun. 30, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 12/1/13 UDP units	Jun. 30, 2012 Loan commitment expiring 12/31/2012	Jun. 30, 2012 Loan commitment expiring 12/31/2012 Skilled Nursing property	Mar. 31, 2012 Loan commitment expiring 12/31/2012 Skilled Nursing property	Jun. 30, 2012 Loan commitment expiring 12/31/2012 Other Senior Housing	Jun. 30, 2012 Loan commitment expiring 12/31/2012 Other Senior Housing	Jul. 31, 2012 Loan commitment expiring 12/31/2012 Other Senior Housing property	Mar. 31, 2012 Loan commitment expiring 12/31/2012 Other Senior Housing property	Jul. 31, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 7/31/2014 Skilled Nursing	Jun. 30, 2012 Loan commitment expiring 3/31/2013	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior unsecured notes	Jul. 31, 2012 Senior unsecured notes	Jun. 30, 2012 Bank Borrowings	Jul. 31, 2012 Acquisitions 90-bed skilled nursing property SNF Beds Texas Unit	Jul. 31, 2012 Acquisitions 144-bed skilled nursing property Ohio property	Jul. 31, 2012 Acquisitions 144-bed skilled nursing property SNF Beds Ohio Y Unit item	Jul. 31, 2012 Issuance of debt Senior unsecured notes Y	Jul. 31, 2012 Repayment of debt Bank Borrowings	Sep. 30, 2012 Dividend declared	Aug. 31, 2012 Dividend declared	Jul. 31, 2012 Dividend declared	Jul. 31, 2012 Conversion of noncontrolling interest	Jun. 30, 2012 Repurchase of equity
Subsequent Events
Number of beds/units acquired					524					144																							90		144
Purchase Price									$ 18,600,000			$ 1,882,000																					$ 6,500,000		$ 54,000,000
Number of Properties					4																													2
GAAP yield (as a percent)									10.70%																								10.70%		10.10%
Lease term of master lease (in years)												11																							15
Number of renewal options												4																							2
Renewal options (in years)												5																							5
Annual escalation under lease for first seven years (as a percent)																																			2.25%
Annual escalation under lease for remainder years (as a percent)																																			2.50%
Amount received related to payoff of loan, excluding accrued interest						2,363,000	493,000
Number of beds or units under development							118						60	60
Period of master lease agreement (in years)								10
Annual escalation under lease (as a percent)								2.50%				2.50%
Capital improvement allowance								1,700,000
Compounded interest rate (as a percent)								9.00%				9.00%
Commitment	9,635,000	23,015,000													1,700,000	1,700,000	1,700,000	7,935,000	7,935,000	7,935,000	2,500,000	667,000						1,700,000
Funded Commitment	232,000														87,000			145,000
Used Commitment	620,000	601,000													325,000	238,000	238,000	295,000	150,000	150,000		53,000		932,000	1,966,000					667,000
Open Commitment	9,015,000	22,414,000													1,375,000	1,462,000	1,462,000	7,640,000	7,785,000	7,785,000
Estimated yield (as a percent)															9.00%	9.00%	9.00%	9.25%	9.25%	9.25%		9.00%		8.50%	8.50%			9.00%
Properties				34		19					1				2	2	2						2				2
Commitment		3,967,000																			667,000								50,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)																																				5.03%
Average life from the date of original issuance (in years)																																				12
Used Commitment		2,272,000																				53,000							20,000
Open Commitment		1,695,000																				614,000							30,000
Yield (as a percent)																						9.00%							10.00%
Properties																						2				2
Aggregate principal amount																																23,000,000				85,800,000
Maturity period (in years)																																				12
Scheduled annual principal pay downs from year 8 through 12																															17,160,000
Repayment amount																																11,000,000					62,000,000
Amount borrowed under Unsecured Credit Agreement																																					29,500,000
Bank borrowings		68,000,000	56,000,000																													68,000,000					35,500,000
Amount available for borrowing under Unsecured Credit Agreement																																$ 172,000,000					$ 204,500,000
Cash dividend per common share																																						$ 0.155	$ 0.155	$ 0.145
Increase in dividend declared per share (as a percent)																																								6.90%
Number of partnership units converted																																									3,294
Partnership unit conversion price (per unit)																																									$ 17.00
Number of shares reserved under limited partnership agreement																																									20,000
Number of shares authorized to be repurchased		5,000,000																																								5,000,000