Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended						1 Months Ended				9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended				1 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014 Line of Credit [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Real Estate Investment [Member] property	Oct. 31, 2014 Real Estate Investment [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Real Estate Investment [Member] Assisted Living Properties [Member] property	Sep. 30, 2014 Real Estate Investment [Member] Real Estate Development Commitments [Member] Memory Care Property [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Other Loans and Lines of Credit [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Member] property	Sep. 30, 2014 Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Member] Assisted Living Properties [Member] property	Sep. 30, 2014 Mortgage and Construction Loans on Real Estate [Member] Skilled Nursing Properties with 106 Units [Member]	Oct. 31, 2014 Subsequent Event [Member] Line of Credit [Member]	Oct. 31, 2014 Subsequent Event [Member] Real Estate Investment [Member]	Oct. 31, 2014 Subsequent Event [Member] Mortgage and Construction Loans on Real Estate [Member] Skilled Nursing Properties with 106 Units [Member]	Oct. 31, 2014 Common Stock [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Colorado Real Estate Investment [Member] Assisted Living Properties [Member] item	Sep. 30, 2013 Colorado Real Estate Investment [Member] Real Estate Development Commitments [Member] Memory Care Property [Member]	Oct. 31, 2014 Colorado Subsequent Event [Member] Real Estate Investment [Member] Assisted Living Properties [Member]	Nov. 03, 2014 Washington Subsequent Event [Member] Bonds [Member] Assisted Living Properties [Member] property	Oct. 31, 2014 Illinois Subsequent Event [Member] Real Estate Investment [Member] Real Estate Development Commitments [Member] Memory Care Property [Member] item	Oct. 31, 2014 Illinois Subsequent Event [Member] Real Estate Investment [Member] Parcel Of Land In Illinois [Member] Land [Member]	Oct. 31, 2014 Extendicare Real Estate Investment Trust and Enlivant [Member] Subsequent Event [Member] Scenario, Forecast [Member] Assisted Living Properties [Member] property	Jan. 01, 2015 Extendicare Real Estate Investment Trust and Enlivant [Member] Subsequent Event [Member] Scenario, Forecast [Member] Assisted Living Properties [Member] property	Oct. 31, 2014 Extendicare Real Estate Investment Trust and Enlivant [Member] Subsequent Event [Member] Real Estate Investment [Member] Scenario, Forecast [Member] Assisted Living Properties [Member] property
Investment Commitment
Amount Funded					$ 22,937,000		$ 16,210,000							$ 4,485,000
Remaining Commitment					18,739,000	14,254,000	10,595,000							14,254,000
Purchase Price																						1,400,000
Number of beds/units																					66
Investment Commitments.					60,325,000		34,125,000	20,325,000										19,553,000			12,248,000
Initial annual rate of lease (as a percent)																					9.30%
Investment commitments for completed construction projects
Number of Beds/Units																	50
2014 Funding																	6,102,000		4,485,000
Total Funding																	6,600,000
Mortgage Loans
Loan commitment									2,963,000			10,600,000			10,600,000
Debt Obligations
Maximum availability under Unsecured Credit Agreement				240,000,000									400,000,000
Possible total maximum availability under Unsecured Credit Agreement				350,000,000									600,000,000
Decrease in drawn pricing, basis point (as a percent)													0.25%
Extension of maturity date													1 year
Amount borrowed				28,500,000									9,000,000
Repayment amount													4,500,000
Amount outstanding Senior Unsecured Notes	281,633,000		255,800,000	19,500,000									24,000,000
Amount available for borrowing under Unsecured Credit Agreement				220,500,000									376,000,000
Payment of tax- exempt revenue bonds	$ 635,000	$ 600,000																		$ 1,400,000
Number of Real Estate Properties					174		97			43	9									5
Equity
Cash dividend declared per common share per month (in dollars per share)																$ 0.17
Major Operators
Number of properties re-leased to other operators																							20	20
Number of properties sold																							16		16
Number of properties to be closed																							1		1