TOLEDO, Ohio, Jan 27, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Health Care REIT, Inc. (NYSE:HCN) announced today that its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend for the quarter ended December 31, 2010 of $0.69 per share. The dividend will be the company's 159th consecutive quarterly payment, payable February 22, 2011, to stockholders of record on February 8, 2011.

The company also announced that it will release its 2010 fourth quarter earnings results before the market opens on February 16, 2011. A conference call is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on February 16, 2011 to discuss these results. The information to be discussed on the call will be contained in the company's earnings release, which will be available in the News section of the company's website at www.hcreit.com.

The conference call will be accessible by telephone and through the Internet. Telephone access will be available by dialing 888-346-2469 or 706-758-4923 (international). For those unable to listen to the call live, a taped rebroadcast will be available beginning two hours after completion of the call through March 2, 2011. To access the rebroadcast, dial 800-642-1687 or 706-645-9291 (international). The conference ID number is 37311797. To participate in the webcast, log on to www.hcreit.com or www.fulldisclosure.com 15 minutes before the call to download the necessary software. Replays will be available for 90 days through the same websites.

Health Care REIT, Inc., an S&P 500 company with headquarters in Toledo, Ohio, is a real estate investment trust that invests across the full spectrum of senior housing and health care real estate. The company also provides an extensive array of property management and development services. As of December 31, 2010, the company's broadly diversified portfolio consisted of 683 properties in 41 states. More information is available on the company's website at www.hcreit.com.

SOURCE: Health Care REIT, Inc.

Health Care REIT, Inc.
Scott Estes, 419-247-2800
or
Mike Crabtree, 419-247-2800