Income Taxes (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Reconciliation of income tax expense computed by applying federal corporate tax rate
Tax at statutory rate on earnings from continuing operations before unconsolidated entities, noncontrolling interest and income taxes	$ 115,673,000	$ 78,663,000	$ 67,049,000
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	(2,396,000)	700,000	(126,000)
Increase in valuation allowance	9,408,000	5,705,000	7,713,000
(Decrease) increase in ASC 740 income tax liability	(4,084,000)	2,420,000	2,166,000
Tax at statutory rate on earnings not subject to federal income taxes	(151,429,000)	(82,490,000)	(78,176,000)
Other differences	1,691,000	203,000	(345,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(31,137,000)	5,201,000	(1,719,000)
Sunrise Acquisition
Income tax
Net deferred tax liability related to temporary differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities acquired	306,300,000
ASLG
Income tax
Net deferred tax liability related to temporary differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities acquired	44,600,000
REIT NOL carryforward increased due to acquisition		543,800,000
NHP
Income tax
REIT NOL carryforward increased due to acquisition		$ 38,700,000

Amount of deferred tax assets or liabilities for the differences between the values assigned and the tax bases of assets and liabilities in a business combination, net of any valuation allowance for deferred tax assets.

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The sum of the current income tax expense or benefit and the deferred income tax expense or benefit pertaining to continuing operations.

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The portion of the difference between total income tax expense or benefit as reported in the Income Statement and the expected income tax expense or benefit computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations attributable to changes in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets in the period.

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