XML 48 R32.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.6

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Oct. 31, 2011 | Jul. 31, 2011 | Dec. 31, 2010 | Dec. 31, 2011 CommonWealth REIT (CWH) Y | Dec. 31, 2010 CommonWealth REIT (CWH) | Jun. 30, 2011 Five Star | Dec. 31, 2011 Five Star Y | Dec. 31, 2010 Five Star
Investment in available for sale securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Investment in common shares (in shares) |  |  |  | 250,000 |  |  | 4,235,000 |
Percentage of common shares owned |  |  |  | 0.30% |  |  | 8.84% |
Additional number of common shares acquired (in shares) |  |  |  |  |  | 1,000,000 |  |
Common shares issued in public offering (in shares) | 9,200,000 | 11,500,000 | 14,400,000 |  |  | 11,500,000 |  |
Aggregate purchase price of shares acquired |  |  |  |  |  | $ 5,000 |  |
Weighted average quoted market prices (in dollars per share) |  |  |  | $ 16.64 | $ 26.00 |  | $ 3.00 | $ 3.36
Fair value of the investments in available for sale securities |  |  |  | 4,160 | 6,378 |  | 12,705 | 22,871
Unrealized loss |  |  |  | 2,340 | 122 |  |  |
Unrealized gain |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ (1,509) | $ 13,656
Period during which investments have been in unrealized loss position (in years) |  |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 |

X
- Definition Represents the period for which the investments in debt and equity securities which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities have been in an unrealized loss position. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | snh_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsPeriod
Namespace Prefix: | snh_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Represents the additional amount of investment made by the entity during the reporting period. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | snh_InvestmentOwnedAdditionalInvestment
Namespace Prefix: | snh_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Represents the additional number of common shares acquired by the entity during the reporting period. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | snh_InvestmentOwnedAdditionalNumberOfSharesAcquired
Namespace Prefix: | snh_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Represents the number of shares held as a percentage of the total shares outstanding at the end of the period. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | snh_InvestmentOwnedPercentageOfTotalSharesOutstanding
Namespace Prefix: | snh_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Represents the weighted average cost per common share of investments on the date of acquisition. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | snh_InvestmentWeightedAverageCostPerShare
Namespace Prefix: | snh_
Data Type: | num:perShareItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition This element represents the portion of the balance sheet assertion valued at fair value by the entity whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission. This item represents Available-for-sale Securities which consist of all investments in certain debt and equity securities neither classified as trading or held-to-maturity securities. A debt security represents a creditor relationship with an enterprise. Debt securities include, among other items, US Treasury securities, US government securities, municipal securities, corporate bonds, convertible debt, commercial paper, and all securitized debt instruments. An equity security represents an ownership interest in an enterprise or the right to acquire or dispose of an ownership interest in an enterprise at fixed or determinable prices. Equity securities include, among other things, common stock, certain preferred stock, warrant rights, call options, and put options, but do not include convertible debt. An entity may opt to provide the reader with additional narrative text to better understand the nature of investments in debt and equity securities which are categorized as Available-for-sale. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 115 -Paragraph 12 -Subparagraph b -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 25 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6379932&loc=d3e22054-111558 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Available-for-Sale Securities -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505594 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition This item represents the gross unrealized gains for securities, at a point in time, which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 133 -Paragraph 22 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 115 -Paragraph 13, 19 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6872113&loc=d3e27161-111563 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesGrossUnrealizedGain
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition This item represents the gross unrealized losses for securities, at a point in time, which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossUnrealizedLosses1
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Balance held at close of period in number of shares. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 12C -Paragraph Column B -Article 12 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 12 -Paragraph Column B -Article 12 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 946 -SubTopic 320 -Section S99 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (SX 210.12-12C.Column B) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6955306&loc=d3e611225-123010 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 14 -Paragraph Column B -Article 12 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 946 -SubTopic 320 -Section S99 -Paragraph 6 -Subparagraph (SX 210.12-14.Column B) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6955306&loc=d3e611322-123010 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 946 -SubTopic 320 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.12-12.Column B) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6955306&loc=d3e611133-123010 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedBalanceShares
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ScheduleOfAvailableForSaleSecuritiesLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number of new stock issued during the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6959260&loc=d3e187085-122770 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) -Number 12 -Paragraph 10 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 04 -Article 3 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 29, 30 -Article 5 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesNewIssues
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration