|
Litigation (Details) (USD $)
|
12 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dec. 31, 2011
|
Dec. 31, 2010
|
Dec. 31, 2009
|
Nov. 30, 2011
HCP Inc
|
Aug. 31, 2011
HCP Inc
|
Nov. 30, 2011
Litigation relation to the Sunrise REIT Acquisition
|
Sep. 30, 2009
Litigation relation to the Sunrise REIT Acquisition
|
Apr. 30, 2011
Litigation relation to the NHP Acquisition
action
|
Mar. 31, 2011
Litigation relation to the NHP Acquisition
action
|
Feb. 28, 2011
Litigation relation to the NHP Acquisition
action
lawsuit
jurisdiction
|
Dec. 31, 2011
Litigation Relating to the Cogdell Acquisition
jurisdiction
Y
|
|
| Loss contingencies | |||||||||||
| Payment for judgment plus costs and interest | $ 102,800,000 | ||||||||||
| Number of lawsuits filed | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| Amount paid in final settlement of outstanding litigation | 125,000,000 | ||||||||||
| Donation to Ventas Charitable Foundation | 10,000,000 | ||||||||||
| Net proceeds from compensatory damages award and the final settlement | 202,259,000 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Number of lawsuits filed against Ventas | 6 | ||||||||||
| Number of lawsuits filed against a subsidiary of Ventas | 5 | ||||||||||
| Number of jurisdictions where lawsuits were filed | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Number of putative class actions asserting derivative claims | 2 | ||||||||||
| Number of class actions consolidated | 3 | ||||||||||
| Number of putative class action complaints filed | 4 | ||||||||||
| Compensatory damages, awarded in litigation related to the Sunrise REIT acquisition | $ 101,600,000 | ||||||||||