Prospectus excerpt:  Health Care REIT, Inc. is offering for sale 11,500,000 shares of 6.50% Series J Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the ÙSeries J Preferred Stockˆ).

Dividends on the Series J Preferred Stock will be payable quarterly in arrears on or about the 15th day of January, April, July and October of each year. The dividend rate is 6.50% per annum of the $25.00 liquidation preference, which is equivalent to $1.625 per annum per share of Series J Preferred Stock. The first dividend on the Series J Preferred Stock sold in this offering will be paid on April 16, 2012, since April 15, 2012 is a Sunday, and will be in the amount of $0.171528 per share.

Generally, we may not redeem the Series J Preferred Stock until March 7, 2017. On and after March 7, 2017, we may, at our option, redeem the Series J Preferred Stock, in whole or from time to time in part, by paying $25.00 per share, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the date of redemption. In addition, upon the occurrence of a change of control the result of which our shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share (Ùcommon stockˆ), and the common securities of the acquiring or surviving entity (or American Depositary Receipts (ÙADRsˆ) representing such securities) are not listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the ÙNYSEˆ), the NYSE Amex Equities (the ÙNYSE Amexˆ) or the NASDAQ Stock Market (ÙNASDAQˆ) or listed or quoted on a successor exchange or quotation system, we may, at our option, redeem the Series J Preferred Stock, in whole or in part and within 120 days after the first date on which such change of control occurred, by paying $25.00 per share, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the date of redemption. If we exercise any of our redemption rights relating to the Series J Preferred Stock, the holders of Series J Preferred Stock will not have the conversion right described below. The Series J Preferred Stock has no maturity date and will remain outstanding indefinitely unless redeemed or repurchased by us or converted in connection with a change of control by the holders of Series J Preferred Stock.