Schedule of Exit Activities (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs	$ 3.1	$ 0.7	$ 5.3	$ 14.6
Consolidations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			2.6	12.4
Closures
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			2.7	2.2
Lease Termination
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			3.1	11.0
Lease Termination | Consolidations | Accrued Expenses | General and administrative - other
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			1.4	9.4
Lease Termination | Closures | Accrued Expenses | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			1.7	1.6
Relocation Costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs				0.7
Relocation Costs | Consolidations | Accrued Expenses | General and administrative - other
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs				0.6
Relocation Costs | Closures | Accrued Expenses | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs				0.1
Severance
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.7	0.7
Severance | Consolidations | Payroll and employee benefits | General and administrative - salaries and benefits
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.2	0.4
Severance | Closures | Payroll and employee benefits | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.5	0.3
Intangible Write-Off
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			1.1	2.2
Intangible Write-Off | Consolidations | Intangible Assets | Depreciation and amortization
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.8	2.0
Intangible Write-Off | Closures | Intangible Assets | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.3	0.2
Asset Write-Off
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.4
Asset Write-Off | Consolidations | Property and equipment | Miscellaneous, net
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.2
Asset Write-Off | Closures | Property and equipment | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.2
Home Health
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			4.8	13.0
Home Health | Consolidations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			2.3	11.4
Home Health | Closures
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			2.5	1.6
Home Health | Lease Termination
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			3.0	9.7
Home Health | Lease Termination | Consolidations | Accrued Expenses | General and administrative - other
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			1.3	8.6
Home Health | Lease Termination | Closures | Accrued Expenses | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			1.7	1.1
Home Health | Relocation Costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs				0.6
Home Health | Relocation Costs | Consolidations | Accrued Expenses | General and administrative - other
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs				0.5
Home Health | Relocation Costs | Closures | Accrued Expenses | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs				0.1
Home Health | Severance
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.7	0.6
Home Health | Severance | Consolidations | Payroll and employee benefits | General and administrative - salaries and benefits
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.2	0.4
Home Health | Severance | Closures | Payroll and employee benefits | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.5	0.2
Home Health | Intangible Write-Off
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.7	2.1
Home Health | Intangible Write-Off | Consolidations | Intangible Assets | Depreciation and amortization
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.6	1.9
Home Health | Intangible Write-Off | Closures | Intangible Assets | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.1	0.2
Home Health | Asset Write-Off
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.4
Home Health | Asset Write-Off | Consolidations | Property and equipment | Miscellaneous, net
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.2
Home Health | Asset Write-Off | Closures | Property and equipment | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.2
Hospice care center
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.5	1.6
Hospice care center | Consolidations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.3	1.0
Hospice care center | Closures
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.2	0.6
Hospice care center | Lease Termination
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.1	1.3
Hospice care center | Lease Termination | Consolidations | Accrued Expenses | General and administrative - other
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.1	0.8
Hospice care center | Lease Termination | Closures | Accrued Expenses | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs				0.5
Hospice care center | Relocation Costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs				0.1
Hospice care center | Relocation Costs | Consolidations | Accrued Expenses | General and administrative - other
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs				0.1
Hospice care center | Severance
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs				0.1
Hospice care center | Severance | Closures | Payroll and employee benefits | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs				0.1
Hospice care center | Intangible Write-Off
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.4	0.1
Hospice care center | Intangible Write-Off | Consolidations | Intangible Assets | Depreciation and amortization
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			0.2	0.1
Hospice care center | Intangible Write-Off | Closures | Intangible Assets | Discontinued operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Business Exit Costs			$ 0.2