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Real Estate Properties (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended						3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012 Property state	Mar. 31, 2011 Property	Dec. 31, 2011	Mar. 31, 2012 Five Star Property	Mar. 31, 2011 Five Star	Mar. 31, 2012 Acquisition Five Star	Mar. 31, 2012 Acquisition Senior living communities sqft Property agreement	Mar. 31, 2012 Acquisition MOB Property	Mar. 31, 2012 Sale Senior living communities Property	Mar. 31, 2012 Sale MOB sqft Property	Feb. 29, 2012 Alabama Acquisition Senior living communities Five Star Property	Feb. 29, 2012 Alabama Acquisition Senior living communities Five Star Living units unit	Mar. 31, 2012 Five States in the southeastern United States Acquisition Property	Mar. 31, 2012 Five States in the southeastern United States Acquisition Senior living communities Property	Mar. 31, 2012 Missouri, New York and South Carolina Acquisition Living units unit	Mar. 31, 2012 Missouri, New York and South Carolina Acquisition Senior living communities Property	Mar. 31, 2012 Georgia and Hawaii Acquisition MOB Property sqft	Mar. 31, 2012 Colorado, Idaho and Washington Acquisition Senior living communities Living units unit
Real Estate Properties
Number of properties owned	370
Number of states in which properties are located	38
Real Estate Properties
Number of properties acquired or agreed to be acquired							4	2			1		7	4		4	3
Number of units												92			688			511
Number of acquisition agreements							3
Aggregate purchase price of properties acquired, excluding closing costs							$ 71,425	$ 257,828			$ 11,300
Assumption of mortgage notes payable							25,000	88,900
Intangible assets recorded related to acquisition											583
Number of properties acquired, referred as managed properties				23
Number of properties agreed to be acquired, referred as leased properties								3
Area of real estate properties acquired (in square feet)							127,180			18,900							343,198
Number of properties classified as held for sale	2								1	1
Real estate properties, held for sale	1,715		1,715							1,200
Impairment of asset charges recorded	3,071	166
Number of properties impaired	1	2
Real estate improvements purchased				6,318	10,837	6,318
Increase or decrease in annual lease rent payable				$ 512	$ 869	$ 512

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- Definition

Represents the increase or decrease on the annual rent the lessee is obligated to pay on an operating lease.

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- Definition

Represents the number of agreements entered into by the entity to acquire real estate properties.

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- Definition

This element represents the number of properties acquired or agreed to be acquired by the entity during the period.

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No definition available.

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- Definition

Represents the number of properties acquired or agreed to be acquired by the entity during the period, which are referred by the entity as managed properties.

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Represents the number of properties agreed to be acquired by the entity under purchase agreements, which are referred by the entity as leased properties.

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The number of real estate properties owned by the entity, which are classified as held for sale as of the balance sheet date.

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Represents the number of real estate properties impaired.

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- Definition

This element represents the aggregate purchase price excluding closing costs, of real estate properties acquired by the entity during the period.

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- Definition

Represents the amount of improvements to real estate properties made by lessees and purchased by the entity.

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- Definition

Represents the intangible assets recorded as part of the real estate acquisition.

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The charge against earnings resulting from the aggregate write down of all assets from their carrying value to their fair value.

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The amount of debt that an Entity assumes in acquiring a business or in consideration for an asset received in a noncash (or part noncash) acquisition. Noncash is defined as transactions during a period that affect recognized assets or liabilities but that do not result in cash receipts or cash payments in the period. "Part noncash" refers to that portion of the transaction not resulting in cash receipts or cash payments in the period.

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- Definition

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

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The number of states the entity operates in as of the balance sheet date.

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- Definition

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

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Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of investments in land and buildings held for sale, excluding real estate considered to be inventory of the entity.

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The amount of square footage related to a real estate property.

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