Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended						1 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended							9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012 Unit	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 Mortgage Loans property	Sep. 30, 2011 SNF Beds bed	Sep. 30, 2012 SNF Beds Mortgage Loans bed	Oct. 31, 2012 Assisted living and Memory care property Kansas Unit item	Oct. 31, 2012 Assisted living and Memory care property Kansas Maximum	Sep. 30, 2011 SNF bed	Sep. 30, 2012 SNF bed	Sep. 30, 2012 SNF Mortgage Loans property	Sep. 30, 2011 SNF SNF Beds bed	Sep. 30, 2012 SNF SNF Beds Mortgage Loans bed	Sep. 30, 2012 Memory care property Colorado item	Sep. 30, 2012 Memory care property Colorado Maximum	Oct. 31, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 3/31/13 SNF	Sep. 30, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 3/31/13 SNF property	Oct. 31, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 12/1/13 UDP units	Sep. 30, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 12/1/13 UDP units	Oct. 31, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 8/31/2015 EDU units	Sep. 30, 2012 Capital improvement commitment expiring 8/31/2015 EDU units property	Sep. 30, 2012 Loan commitment expiring on 11/30/2012	Sep. 30, 2012 Loan commitment expiring 12/31/2012	Oct. 31, 2012 Loan commitment expiring 12/31/2012 SNF	Sep. 30, 2012 Loan commitment expiring 12/31/2012 SNF	Sep. 30, 2012 Loan commitment expiring 12/31/2012 SNF	Sep. 30, 2012 Bank Borrowings	Dec. 31, 2012 Dividend declared	Nov. 30, 2012 Dividend declared	Oct. 31, 2012 Dividend declared	Oct. 31, 2012 Subsequent Event	Oct. 31, 2012 Subsequent Event Assisted living and Memory care property Kansas item	Oct. 31, 2012 Subsequent Event Capital improvement commitment expiring 3/31/13 SNF property	Oct. 31, 2012 Subsequent Event Capital improvement commitment expiring 10/11/2013 UDP units	Sep. 30, 2012 Subsequent Event Capital improvement commitment expiring 10/11/2013 UDP units SNF Beds Texas bed	Oct. 31, 2012 Subsequent Event Capital improvement commitment expiring 12/1/13 UDP units	Sep. 30, 2012 Subsequent Event Capital improvement commitment expiring 12/1/13 Memory care property 60-unit free-standing, private-pay memory care property Colorado Unit	Sep. 30, 2012 Subsequent Event Capital improvement commitment expiring 10/23/2014 Assisted living and Memory care property Unit	Oct. 31, 2012 Subsequent Event Capital improvement commitment expiring 10/23/2014 UDP units	Oct. 31, 2012 Subsequent Event Capital improvement commitment expiring 8/31/2015 EDU units property	Oct. 31, 2012 Subsequent Event Loan commitment expiring on 11/30/2012	Oct. 31, 2012 Subsequent Event Loan commitment expiring 12/31/2012 SNF	Oct. 31, 2012 Subsequent Event Bank Borrowings
Subsequent Events
Cash dividend per common share																												$ 0.155	$ 0.155	$ 0.155
Commitment	$ 39,215,000							$ 9,855,000							$ 7,935,000		$ 1,700,000		$ 7,935,000		$ 30,000		$ 2,500,000								$ 27,770,000		$ 1,700,000	$ 8,250,000		$ 7,935,000			$ 9,855,000	$ 30,000
Funded Commitment																219,000		847,000		30,000											2,014,000		219,000	426,000		847,000			492,000	30,000
Purchase Price	80,982,000		72,291,000				730,000		60,841,000	79,100,000				1,882,000																		730,000
Commitment	1,717,000																					250,000			667,000	667,000					917,000										250,000	667,000
Used Commitment	2,422,000						492,000										492,000		1,438,000												4,436,000	492,000	711,000	918,000		2,285,000			492,000	30,000
Open Commitment	36,793,000																1,208,000		6,497,000		30,000										23,334,000		989,000	7,332,000		5,650,000			9,363,000
Initial Cash Yield (as a percent)																	9.00%		9.25%						9.00%	9.00%							9.00%	9.00%		9.25%			9.25%
Number of properties				33							18						2				1												2							1
Initial rent rate (as a percent)							9.25%							9.25%																		9.25%
Compounded interest rate (as a percent)							9.00%							9.00%																		9.00%
Lease term of master lease							10 years							11 years																		10 years
Number of renewal options							2							4																		2
Renewal options							5 years							5 years																		5 years
Annual escalation under lease (as a percent)							2.50%							2.50%																		2.50%
Number of beds/units acquired							77		524																										120		60	77
Number of beds/units in existing property that is being replaced																																			90
Number of Beds/Units	522				782	2,093				522		664	1,994
(Received) Funded Commitment																								177,000							127,000										(50,000)	177,000
Used Commitment	413,000																					200,000			140,000	193,000					520,000										150,000	370,000
Open Commitment	1,304,000																					50,000			474,000	474,000					397,000										100,000	297,000
Estimated yield (as a percent)																						9.00%			9.00%	9.00%															9.00%	9.00%
Repayment amount																											73,000,000																6,000,000
Amount outstanding under Unsecured Credit Agreement	35,500,000	56,000,000																									35,500,000																29,500,000
Amount available for borrowing under Unsecured Credit Agreement																											$ 204,500,000																$ 210,500,000