| Schedule of acquisitions | 
        
 
      Acquisitions of Senior Housing Properties
     
    
      
     
    
      The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase price
      to the fair value of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed
      at the date of acquisition, in accordance with the acquisition method of
      accounting:
     
    
    
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          At Acquisition
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          Managed
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          Holiday
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          Properties
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          Portfolio
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          Total
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Allocation of Purchase Price (A)(B)
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Investments in Real Estate
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          268,010
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          937,548
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          1,205,558
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Resident Lease Intangibles
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          31,673
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          57,883
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          89,556
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Non-compete Intangibles
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          1,000
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          —
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          1,000
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Land Lease Intangibles
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          —
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          3,498
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          3,498
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          PILOT Intangible
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          3,700
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          —
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          3,700
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Other Intangibles
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          500
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          1,546
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          2,046
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Assumed mortgage notes payable
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          (43,128
         | 
        
          )
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          —
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          (43,128
         | 
        
          )
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Other Assets, net of other liabilities
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          (2,157
         | 
        
          )
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          —
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          (2,157
         | 
        
          )
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Subtotal
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          259,598
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          1,000,475
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          1,260,073
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Mortgage Notes Payable (C)
 | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          (175,871
         | 
        
          )
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          (719,350
         | 
        
          )
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          (895,221
         | 
        
          )
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Net assets acquired
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          83,727
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          281,125
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          364,852
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Total acquisition related costs (D)
 | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          6,118
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          3,604
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          9,722
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
     
    
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
          (A)
         | 
        
          Due to the timing of the acquisitions, for the November and December
          acquisitions,, Newcastle is still obtaining additional information
          relating to the purchase price allocation. Therefore, the review
          process of the purchase price allocation is not complete. Newcastle
          expects to complete this process within twelve months of the
          acquisition.
         | 
       
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
          (B)
         | 
        
          Includes $1.5 million for the fair value of an earn-out payment to the
          seller if the aggregate EBITDA in one of the portfolios acquired for
          any calendar years in which the third, fourth, fifth and/or sixth
          anniversary of the acquisition date occurs is equal to or in excess of
          an earn-out threshold, as defined within the agreement. The
          undiscounted earn-out payment is limited to $4.6 million, as per the
          agreement.
         | 
       
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
          (C)
         | 
        
          See Note 14.
         | 
       
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
          (D)
         | 
        
          Acquisition related costs are expensed as incurred and included within
          general and administrative expense on the consolidated statements of
          income.
         | 
       
     
    
    
      Restructuring and Spin-off of Media Investments 
     
    
       
     
    
      The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase price to the
      fair value of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the
      date of acquisition, in accordance with the acquisition method of
      accounting:
     
    
    
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          As of November 26, 2013
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Cash and cash equivalents
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          22,368
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Property, plant and equipment
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          272,153
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Intangibles
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          146,019
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Goodwill
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          126,686
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Restricted cash
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          6,295
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Receivables and other assets
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          100,483
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Total assets acquired
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          674,004
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Less:
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Credit facilities
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          182,000
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Other liabilities
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          102,910
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Net assets acquired
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          389,094
         | 
       
     
    
    
      Restructuring of Golf Investment
     
    
      The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase price to the
      fair value of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the
      date of acquisition, in accordance with the acquisition method of
      accounting:
     
    
    
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          As of December 30, 2013
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Cash
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          19,378
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Investments in other real estate
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          259,573
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Intangible assets
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          98,866
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Restricted cash
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          3,512
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Receivables and other assets
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          34,898
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Total assets acquired
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          416,227
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Less:
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Credit facilities
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          228,832
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Other liabilities
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          184,529
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Noncontrolling interest
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          366
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
      
        | 
          Net assets acquired
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
          $
         | 
        
          2,500
         | 
        
           
         | 
        
           
         | 
       
     
 |