We did a systematic review to find recommendations on patient safety oriented toward improving the quality of care in nursing homes, residential facilities, housing for the elderly and long-term care facilities, among others. One hundred and thirty-four articles were selected in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL up to October 2012. Of these, 17 met inclusion criteria and 5 studies were added in the secondary search for further detailed analysis. Few studies with high or very high level of scientific evidence on the scale SIGN were identified. Analyzed studies focused primarily on nursing staff. Most of the recommendations are oriented toward medication-related issues, staff training, pressure ulcers or falls, adherence to guidelines and protocols and topics referred to organizational culture.