FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   LUSTIG MATTHEW J 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 05/13/2011 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol VENTAS INC [VTR] (Last) (First) (Middle) 30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) NEW YORK, NY 10020 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common Stock 24,854,060 (1) (2) (3) I See Footnote (1) (2) (3)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
LUSTIG MATTHEW J 30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA NEW YORK, NY 10020	  X	Â	Â	Â

Signatures

Matthew J. Lustig, By: T. Richard Riney, Attorney-In-Fact		05/16/2011
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Prometheus Senior Quarters LLC ("Prometheus"), a Delaware limited liability company, Lazard Senior Housing Partners LP ("LSHP"), a Delaware limited partnership, and LSHP Coinvestment Partnership I LP ("LSHP Coinvest"), a Delaware limited partnership, collectively, may be deemed to beneficially own 24,854,060 shares of Issuer's common stock. The Managing Members of Prometheus are LFSRI II-CADIM Alternative Partnership L.P., LF Strategic Realty Investors II L.P. and LFSRI II Alternative Partnership L.P., each a Delaware limited partnership, and Lazard Fr?res Real Estate Investors L.L.C. ("LFREI"), a New York limited liability company, is the general partner of each such limited partnership. Lazard Senior Housing Partners GP LLC ("LSHP GP"), a Delaware limited liability company, is the general partner of LSHP. LSHP Coinvestment I GP LLC ("LSHP Coinvest GP"), a Delaware limited liability company, is the general partner of LSHP Coinvest.
(2)	[Continued from previous] Lazard Alternative Investments LLC ("LAI"), a Delaware limited liability company, is the managing member of each of LFREI, LSHP GP and LSHP Coinvest GP. In his capacity as Managing Director of LAI, Managing Principal of LFREI and Managing Principal and Chief Executive Officer of each of LSHP GP and LSHP Coinvest GP, Mr. Lustig may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the shares of Issuer's common stock reported herein. Mr. Lustig expressly disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of Issuer's common stock reported herein, except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein, if any.
(3)	On May 13, 2011, Matthew J. Lustig was appointed to the board of directors of the Issuer.

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