Real Estate Investments (Details 2) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013 property unit	Mar. 31, 2012	Apr. 30, 2013 Subsequent Event [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Maximum	Mar. 31, 2013 ALF Units unit	Mar. 31, 2013 Assisted Living property unit	Mar. 31, 2013 Skilled Nursing property bed	Mar. 31, 2012 140-bed skilled nursing property Texas bed	Mar. 31, 2012 144-bed skilled nursing property Texas unit	Mar. 31, 2013 Independent living property unit	Mar. 31, 2013 Assisted living and Memory care property property	Mar. 31, 2013 Memory care property 60-units memory care properties unit
Acquisitions
Annual commitment through December 2014				$ 5,000,000
Number of properties agreed to be funded for construction	37
Estimated yield (as a percent)	9.50%
Maturity period of US Treasury note	10 years
Variable rate basis used to compute estimated yield	10-year treasury note rate
Number of days prior to funding	5 days
Basis points added/deducted from the base rate (as a percent)	(4.20%)
Investment Commitment
Investment Commitment	77,571,000					40,927,000	36,644,000
2013 Funding	6,193,000		1,398,000			3,880,000	2,313,000
Commitment Funded	23,540,000					12,122,000	11,418,000
Remaining Commitment	54,031,000		52,633,000			28,805,000	25,226,000
Number of Properties	13					7	6				2
Number of Beds/Units	1,279					494	785
Number of beds/units acquired										140		60
Amount invested for expansion and renovation of properties					14,600,000					125,000	16,385,000	9,817,000
Capital improvement funding to existing properties	117,000
Number of Beds/Units					2				144
Purchase Price									18,600,000
Number of beds or units in property sold								140
Sale of property								1,248,000
Gain on sale of property, net of selling expenses		$ 16,000						$ 16,000