Real Estate Investments (Details) (Real Estate Investment [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014 item state property
Real Estate Investments
Gross Investments	$ 966,012
Percentage of Investments	100.00%
Number of properties	174
Number of states	26
Number of operators	30
Operating leases
Number of ways to compute annual rent increases	4
Minimum [Member]
Operating leases
Initial term of non-cancelable operating lease	10 years
Specified annual increase over the prior year's rent (as a percent)	2.00%
Maximum [Member]
Operating leases
Initial term of non-cancelable operating lease	15 years
Specified annual increase over the prior year's rent (as a percent)	3.00%
Skilled Nursing Facility Beds [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Number of Beds/Units	8,898
Assisted Living Facility Units [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Number of Beds/Units	4,894
Assisted Living Properties [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Gross Investments	414,930
Percentage of Investments	43.00%
Number of properties	97
Average Investment per Bed/Unit	89,810
Assisted Living Properties [Member] \| Assisted Living Facility Units [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Number of Beds/Units	4,620
Skilled Nursing Properties [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Gross Investments	460,197
Percentage of Investments	47.60%
Number of properties	68
Average Investment per Bed/Unit	55,690
Number of beds/units under development	143
Skilled Nursing Properties [Member] \| Skilled Nursing Facility Beds [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Number of Beds/Units	8,264
Range of Care Properties [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Gross Investments	43,906
Percentage of Investments	4.60%
Number of properties	8
Average Investment per Bed/Unit	48,350
Range of Care Properties [Member] \| Skilled Nursing Facility Beds [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Number of Beds/Units	634
Range of Care Properties [Member] \| Assisted Living Facility Units [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Number of Beds/Units	274
Properties under Development [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Gross Investments	36,096
Percentage of Investments	3.70%
Other Senior Housing Properties [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Gross Investments	$ 10,883
Percentage of Investments	1.10%
Number of properties	1
Number of parcels of land	5
Schools [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Number of properties	1
Memory Care Property [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Number of beds/units under development	108
Assisted Living and Memory Care Properties [Member]
Real Estate Investments
Number of beds/units under development	80

Name:	invest_InvestmentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	invest_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Represents the increase in rent expressed as percentage over the prior year's rent.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ltc_AnnualIncreaseInRentPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	ltc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of beds/units under development.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ltc_NumberOfBedsOrUnitsUnderDevelopment
Namespace Prefix:	ltc_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of parcels of land.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ltc_NumberOfParcelsOfLand
Namespace Prefix:	ltc_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of ways that specified annual rent increases over the prior year rent may be computed depending upon specific lease provisions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ltc_NumberOfWaysToComputeSpecifiedAnnualIncreaseOfRent
Namespace Prefix:	ltc_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the initial term of operating lease.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ltc_OperatingLeaseInitialTerm
Namespace Prefix:	ltc_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of operators associated with certain investments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ltc_RealEstateInvestmentsNumberOfOperatorsInStates
Namespace Prefix:	ltc_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the number of states in which the entity has invested.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ltc_RealEstateInvestmentsNumberOfStates
Namespace Prefix:	ltc_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the investments in real estate held solely for investment purposes expressed as a percentage.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ltc_RealEstateInvestmentsPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	ltc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the per unit investment in real estate held solely for investment purposes.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ltc_RealEstateInvestmentsPerUnit
Namespace Prefix:	ltc_
Data Type:	us-types:perUnitItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LeasesOperatingAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of real estate properties owned as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfRealEstateProperties
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of units in a real estate property owned as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfUnitsInRealEstateProperty
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of real estate investment property which may include the following: (1) land available-for-sale; (2) land available-for-development; (3) investments in building and building improvements; (4) tenant allowances; (5) developments in-process; (6) rental properties; and (7) other real estate investments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(d))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealEstateInvestmentPropertyAtCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant