DEBT (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended						3 Months Ended	7 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	13 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	13 Months Ended			2 Months Ended				9 Months Ended					9 Months Ended							9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Oct. 01, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 Prime Rate [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 One Month LIBOR [Member]	May 17, 2012 $125 million credit facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 $125 million credit facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 $125 million credit facility [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 $125 million credit facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 $125 million credit facility [Member]		May 06, 2011 $125 million credit facility [Member] Prime Rate [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 $125 million credit facility [Member] Prime Rate [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 $125 million credit facility [Member] Prime Rate [Member]	Jun. 14, 2012 $125 million credit facility [Member] Prime Rate [Member]	May 06, 2011 $125 million credit facility [Member] LIBOR Rate [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 $125 million credit facility [Member] LIBOR Rate [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 $125 million credit facility [Member] LIBOR Rate [Member]	Jun. 14, 2012 $125 million credit facility [Member] LIBOR Rate [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Letters of Credit [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Letters of Credit [Member]	Feb. 17, 2011 Minimum [Member] $125 million credit facility [Member] Prime Rate [Member]	Feb. 17, 2011 Minimum [Member] $125 million credit facility [Member] LIBOR Rate [Member]	Feb. 17, 2011 Maximum [Member] $125 million credit facility [Member] Prime Rate [Member]	Feb. 17, 2011 Maximum [Member] $125 million credit facility [Member] LIBOR Rate [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 6.24%, due 2014 [Member]	Aug. 13, 2012 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 6.24%, due 2014 [Member]	Jun. 12, 2012 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 6.24%, due 2014 [Member]	Jan. 17, 2012 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 6.24%, due 2014 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 6.24%, due 2014 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 6.50%, due 2015 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 6.50%, due 2015 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 6.50%, due 2015 [Member]	Jun. 12, 2009 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 6.50%, due 2015 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 6.50%, due 2015 [Member] Iowa [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 6.50%, due 2015 [Member] Indiana [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 6.50%, due 2015 [Member] Wisconsin [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 7.07%, due 2018 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Mortgage note, bearing interest at 7.07%, due 2018 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Oregon Trust Deed Notes, weighted average interest rate of 7.33%, maturing from 2021 through 2026 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Oregon Trust Deed Notes, weighted average interest rate of 7.33%, maturing from 2021 through 2026 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Oregon Trust Deed Notes, weighted average interest rate of 7.33%, maturing from 2021 through 2026 [Member] Minimum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Oregon Trust Deed Notes, weighted average interest rate of 7.33%, maturing from 2021 through 2026 [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 HUD Insured Mortgages, interest rates ranging from 5.66% to 5.85%, due 2032 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 HUD Insured Mortgages, interest rates ranging from 5.66% to 5.85%, due 2032 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2007 HUD Insured Mortgages, interest rates ranging from 5.66% to 5.85%, due 2032 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 HUD Insured Mortgages, interest rates ranging from 5.66% to 5.85%, due 2032 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Mortgages [Member]
Summary of long-term debt [Abstract]
Total debt	$ 180,259,000		$ 180,259,000			$ 88,241,000					$ 105,900,000	[1]		$ 12,000,000	[1]															$ 30,956,000				$ 31,703,000	$ 24,078,000	$ 24,775,000	$ 26,300,000	$ 14,000,000				$ 8,433,000	$ 8,552,000	$ 7,030,000	$ 7,274,000			$ 3,937,000			$ 3,862,000
Less current maturities	(6,401,000)		(6,401,000)			(2,538,000)
Total long-term debt	173,858,000		173,858,000			85,703,000
ALC credit facility amount	125,000,000		125,000,000								125,000,000
Interest rate on mortgage notes (in hundredths)																														6.24%					6.50%							7.07%
Weighted average interest rate on notes (in hundredths)																																												7.33%
Interest rate, minimum (in hundredths)																																																			5.66%
Interest rate, maximum (in hundredths)																																																			5.85%
Long term debt maturity date											Feb. 28, 2016																			Dec. 31, 2014					Dec. 31, 2015							Dec. 31, 2018				Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2026				Dec. 31, 2032
Long term debt, spread (in basis point)																175	200	250	150	275	300	350	250			137.5	225	250	350
Variable interest rate (in hundredths)							3.25%	0.25%
Credit facility termination date											2011-02-18
Line of credit, term											5 years
Number of subsidiaries guaranteed the credit facility											3
Number of residences	211		211								31
Carrying value of residences											66,600,000
Annual Capital Expenditures, Maximum									35,000,000	15,000,000			35,000,000
Debt instrument amendment fee											400,000
Occupancy percentage of residence to be removed from collateral pool (in hundredths)											62.00%
Percentage of aggregate value of the collateral pool to exceed the borrowing base (in hundredths)			70.00%
Number of collateral properties removed											3
Number of units in properties removed											127
Number of collateral properties added											4
Number of units in properties added											160																								79
Credit facility commitment fee (in hundredths)											0.50%
Number of quarters for which borrowings under the facility are limited											3
Multiple of net income for specified quarters											3
Number of prior fiscal quarters for consolidated net income											4
Outstanding borrowings											105,900,000			12,000,000										5,800,000	5,600,000
Financial covenants and available borrowings under the facility											13,300,000			107,400,000
Closing cost of debt											1,900,000																								400,000
Cross-default provisions	135,800,000		135,800,000
Number of units unlikely to meet threshold requirement in Inwood Hills																																			60
Closing costs amortization period																																			5 years
Mortgage note amortization period																														25 years					20 years							25 years
Residence for which reservation of rights letter received																																second	one
Number of residence for which letter alleging default received																															2
Number of units mortgaged																																			314
Number of living residences mortgaged																														24									2	3	1			9
Carrying value of residences mortgaged																														55,500,000					19,700,000							10,400,000		9,500,000							4,300,000
Mortgage note, original principal amount																																										9,000,000
Monthly principal and interest payments amount																														300,000												64,200
Balloon payment amount																														29,600,000												7,200,000
Outstanding mortgage balance related to two residence																														3,200,000
Outstanding mortgage balance related to third residence																														700,000
Outstanding mortgage balance																														3,900,000
Mortgage loans on amount	180,259,000		180,259,000			88,241,000					105,900,000	[1]		12,000,000	[1]															30,956,000				31,703,000	24,078,000	24,775,000	26,300,000	14,000,000				8,433,000	8,552,000	7,030,000	7,274,000			3,937,000			3,862,000
Additional amount of loan																																			12,250,000
Amortization period for additional loan																																			15 years
Annual prepayment of loan without fees, maximum (in hundredths)																																			10.00%
Prepayment fee for loan in year one (in hundredths)																																			3.00%
Prepayment fee for loan in year two (in hundredths)																																			3.00%
Prepayment fee for loan in year three (in hundredths)																																			2.00%
Prepayment fee for loan in year four (in hundredths)																																			2.00%
Prepayment fee for loan, thereafter (in hundredths)																																			1.00%
Minimum interest rate on mortgage note (in hundredths)																																												0.00%							5.66%
Maximum interest rate on mortgage note (in hundredths)																																												9.00%							5.85%
Interest rate on mortgage note for remaining term (in hundredths)																																												6.84%							5.74%
Number of loan agreement																																																3
Number of loans refinanced																																																		2
Number of loans repaid																																																		1
Number of remaining mortgaged loans																																																			2
Loan repaid amount			1,921,000	5,061,000																																													2,800,000			500,000
Number of years considered for prepayment																																																			2 years
Unfavorable market value of debt adjustment [Abstract]
Unfavorable market value of debt adjustment			3,200,000
Unfavorable market value adjustment amortization amount	13,236	(156,000)	39,360	(196,200)
Write-off unfavorable market value adjustment			62,000
Letters of credit [Abstract]
Letters of credit outstanding amount	5,800,000		5,800,000			5,600,000
Letters of credit amount released					800,000
Letter of credit related to workers compensation insurance						5,100,000
Letters of credit for leased properties						$ 500,000

[1] Borrowings under this facility bear interest at a floating rate at ALC's option equal to LIBOR or prime plus a margin. The margin is determined by ALC's consolidated leverage ratio (as defined in the U.S. Bank Credit Facility) and ranges from 137.5 to 250 basis points over prime or 225 to 350 basis points over LIBOR. From February 18, 2011 through May 6, 2011, ALC's prime and LIBOR margins were 175 and 275 basis points, respectively. On May 7, 2011, the prime and LIBOR margins were reduced to 150 and 250 basis points, respectively. On June 15, 2012, the prime and LIBOR margins were increased to 200 and 300 basis points, respectively. Based upon ALC's consolidated leverage ratios at September 30, 2012, prime and LIBOR margins will increase to 250 and 350 basis points, respectively. At September 30, 2012, prime was 3.25% and one month LIBOR was 0.25%.