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Indebtedness (Details) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended										3 Months Ended		4 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 28, 2015 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2015 USD ($) property item	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($) property	May. 31, 2015 USD ($) property item	Apr. 30, 2015 USD ($) item	Feb. 28, 2015 USD ($) item	Jan. 31, 2015 USD ($) building	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) community	Jun. 30, 2014	May. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) property building item	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) property community building item	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) community	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Aug. 05, 2015 USD ($)
Indebtedness
Number of public issues of unsecured senior notes | item												6			6
Principal amount of unsecured senior notes									$ 1,743,628			$ 1,744,694			$ 1,744,694		$ 1,743,628
Interest rate (as a percent)												1.60%			1.60%
Aggregate principal amount of mortgage debt												$ 723,170			$ 723,170
Carrying value of mortgaged properties									5,254,761			6,337,654			6,337,654		5,254,761
Assumption of mortgage notes payable															181,432	$ 15,630
Unsecured revolving credit facility									80,000			467,757			467,757		$ 80,000
Loss on early extinguishment of debt												(21)	$ (1,409)		(1,469)
Sale of senior unsecured notes															200,000	$ 350,000
Net proceeds after underwriting discounts from sale of senior unsecured notes															644,889
Unsecured revolving credit facility
Indebtedness
Unsecured revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity												1,000,000			1,000,000			$ 750,000
Revolving credit facility, available amount												$ 532,243			532,243				$ 255,000
Extension period of revolving credit facility												1 year
Principal repayment due until maturity												$ 0
Option to increase the borrowing capacity under revolving credit facility												$ 1,500,000			$ 1,500,000
Interest rate, description															LIBOR
Interest rate added to the base rate (as a percent)															1.30%
Revolving credit facility, interest rate payable (as a percent)												1.46%			1.46%
Debt instrument, facility fee (as a percent)															0.30%
Weighted average interest rate on debt (as a percent)												1.47%			1.48%	1.42%
Unsecured revolving credit facility												$ 467,757			$ 467,757				$ 745,000
Senior unsecured notes 4.30%
Indebtedness
Principal amount of unsecured senior notes												$ 250,000			$ 250,000
Interest rate (as a percent)												4.30%			4.30%
Repayments mortgage note		$ 250,000
Senior unsecured notes 6.75%
Indebtedness
Principal amount of unsecured senior notes												$ 200,000			$ 200,000
Interest rate (as a percent)												6.75%			6.75%
Unsecured senior notes due 2021
Indebtedness
Principal amount of unsecured senior notes												$ 300,000			$ 300,000
Interest rate (as a percent)												6.75%			6.75%
Senior unsecured notes 5.625% due in 2042
Indebtedness
Principal amount of unsecured senior notes												$ 350,000			$ 350,000
Interest rate (as a percent)												5.625%			5.625%
Mortgages
Indebtedness
Aggregate principal amount of mortgage debt												$ 723,170			$ 723,170
Number of properties mortgaged | property												57			57
Number of buildings mortgaged | building												58			58
Carrying value of mortgaged properties												$ 1,148,595			$ 1,148,595
Principal repayment due until maturity				$ 4,351
Repayments mortgage note			$ 52,000	$ 4,867	$ 15,077	$ 6,274	$ 29,227
Weighted average interest rate on debt (as a percent)				5.65%
Weighted average interest rate on debt (as a percent)							6.02%
Weighted average interest rate on prepaid debt (as a percent)			5.64%	5.81%	5.70%	5.81%
Number of mortgage notes | item			2		4	1	1
Number of properties encumbered under mortgage notes | property			1	1	4
Capital leases
Indebtedness
Carrying value of mortgaged properties												$ 35,515			$ 35,515
Number of properties recorded under capital lease | property												2			2
Capital leases												$ 12,313			$ 12,313
Senior unsecured notes due 2019
Indebtedness
Principal amount of unsecured senior notes												$ 400,000			$ 400,000
Interest rate (as a percent)												3.25%			3.25%
Senior unsecured notes due 2024
Indebtedness
Principal amount of unsecured senior notes												$ 250,000			$ 250,000
Interest rate (as a percent)												4.75%			4.75%
Unsecured Debt
Indebtedness
Unsecured term loan facility											$ 350,000	$ 350,000			$ 350,000
Interest rate, description											LIBOR			LIBOR
Interest rate added to the base rate (as a percent)	1.80%										1.40%						1.40%
Weighted average interest rate on debt (as a percent)	1.99%
Weighted average interest rate on debt (as a percent)										1.55%		1.61%			1.60%
Maximum borrowing capacity that may be increased	$ 400,000								700,000								$ 700,000
Unsecured Debt September 2015
Indebtedness
Unsecured term loan facility												$ 200,000			$ 200,000
Senior living communities
Indebtedness
Unsecured term loan facility												$ 200,000			$ 200,000
Interest rate, description															LIBOR
Interest rate added to the base rate (as a percent)															1.80%
Number of communities | community															19
Senior living communities | Agreement to acquire
Indebtedness
Assumption of mortgage notes payable					$ 151,477
Weighted average interest rate on debt (as a percent)					4.57%
Bridge loan commitment received									$ 700,000								$ 700,000
Number of communities | community									38								38
MOBs
Indebtedness
Number of properties acquired with assumed mortgage debt | building								2
MOBs | Mortgages | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Indebtedness
Assumption of mortgage notes payable								$ 29,955
Fair value of mortgage notes payable								$ 31,029
Weighted average interest rate on debt (as a percent)															4.73%

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