Description of Business	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Description of Business [Abstract]
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS	NOTE 1 — DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS Ventas, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated or except where the context otherwise requires, “we,” “us” or “our”) is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with a geographically diverse portfolio of seniors housing and healthcare properties in the United States and Canada. As of September 30, 2011, our portfolio consisted of 1,361 properties: 673 seniors housing communities, 398 skilled nursing facilities, 47 hospitals and 243 medical office buildings (“MOBs”) and other properties in 46 states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. We are a constituent member of the S&P 500^® index, a leading indicator of the large cap U.S. equities market, with our headquarters located in Chicago, Illinois. Our primary business consists of acquiring and owning seniors housing and healthcare properties and leasing those properties to unaffiliated tenants or operating those properties through independent third party managers. Through our Lillibridge Healthcare Services, Inc. (“Lillibridge”) subsidiary and our ownership interest in PMB Real Estate Services LLC (“PMBRES”), which we acquired in July 2011 in connection with our acquisition of Nationwide Health Properties, Inc. (“NHP”), we also provide management, leasing, marketing, facility development and advisory services to highly rated hospitals and health systems throughout the United States. In addition, from time to time, we make real estate loans and other investments relating to seniors housing and healthcare companies or properties. As of September 30, 2011, we leased 927 of our properties (excluding MOBs) to healthcare operating companies under “triple-net” or “absolute-net” leases that obligate the tenants to pay all property-related expenses (including maintenance, utilities, repairs, taxes, insurance and capital expenditures), and we engaged independent third parties, such as Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “Sunrise”) and Atria Senior Living, Inc. (“Atria”), to manage 199 of our seniors housing communities pursuant to long-term management agreements.

NOTE 1 — DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

Ventas, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated or except where the context otherwise requires, “we,” “us” or “our”) is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with a geographically diverse portfolio of seniors housing and healthcare properties in the United States and Canada. As of September 30, 2011, our portfolio consisted of 1,361 properties: 673 seniors housing communities, 398 skilled nursing facilities, 47 hospitals and 243 medical office buildings (“MOBs”) and other properties in 46 states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. We are a constituent member of the S&P 500^® index, a leading indicator of the large cap U.S. equities market, with our headquarters located in Chicago, Illinois.

Our primary business consists of acquiring and owning seniors housing and healthcare properties and leasing those properties to unaffiliated tenants or operating those properties through independent third party managers. Through our Lillibridge Healthcare Services, Inc. (“Lillibridge”) subsidiary and our ownership interest in PMB Real Estate Services LLC (“PMBRES”), which we acquired in July 2011 in connection with our acquisition of Nationwide Health Properties, Inc. (“NHP”), we also provide management, leasing, marketing, facility development and advisory services to highly rated hospitals and health systems throughout the United States. In addition, from time to time, we make real estate loans and other investments relating to seniors housing and healthcare companies or properties.

As of September 30, 2011, we leased 927 of our properties (excluding MOBs) to healthcare operating companies under “triple-net” or “absolute-net” leases that obligate the tenants to pay all property-related expenses (including maintenance, utilities, repairs, taxes, insurance and capital expenditures), and we engaged independent third parties, such as Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “Sunrise”) and Atria Senior Living, Inc. (“Atria”), to manage 199 of our seniors housing communities pursuant to long-term management agreements.