Advances in high-tech sensors and wireless networks are driving a new “smart home” technology boom aimed at allowing aging — and ailing — seniors live safely in their homes, while being monitored from afar.

Many companies are moving beyond home security, temperature systems, and Life Alert networks to create products for baby boomers to keep an eye on their aging parents remotely and allow them to live independently, the Los Angeles Times reports.

These systems often use simple, cheap components, including:

• Accelerometers that know when an object is moved — such as the lid on a pill bottle.
• Small power sensors to track electricity use or contact circuits that tell when a door is open or closed.
• Wireless monitoring systems — offered by companies such as Lively, Evermind, and BeClose — that cost $50 to $300 for a set of sensors and $30 to $70 a month to track a person’s activities.